Nestled on the hillside of Sorengo, just outside Lugano, Felix Lo Basso Home & Restaurant is a culinary sanctuary where Italian soul meets Swiss serenity.
The restaurant stands on a historic property that once housed the legendary Sant’Abbondio restaurant. Today, under the guidance of Chef Felice Lo Basso and his team, this house has been transformed into a modern home and dining space with a panoramic view across the Muzzano nature reserve.
Chef Felice Lo Basso was born in 1973 in Molfetta, a coastal town in Puglia.
After training in some of Italy’s finest kitchens and abroad, he developed a cuisine that pairs technical precision with deep respect for ingredients. An important chapter of his career unfolded in Val Gardena, where he earned critical recognition for refined cuisine. In 2016 he opened the Felix Lo Basso Restaurant in Milan, followed in 2018 by Memorie di Felix Lo Basso in Trani. Both restaurants swiftly gained accolades, and his dishes—rooted in southern Italian flavours but influenced by global experiences—secured him a place among Italy’s most celebrated chefs.
In 2020 the chef introduced an intimate new concept, Felix Lo Basso Home & Restaurant, in Milan. This project allowed guests to dine within his own home, breaking down walls between chef and diner. The Lugano chapter continues that spirit, bringing the concept to Swiss soil while remaining true to his roots.
The success of the restaurant reflects the synergy between Chef Lo Basso and marketing professional Emiliana Ferraroni.
Ferraroni, who has decades of experience in business marketing and hospitality, cosfounded the venture in 2016. Together they have redefined hospitality by removing barriers between guest and chef. The team also includes the Ferraroni brothers, Stefano and Luca, whose family winery produces Soledì wines. These elegant Lugano wines complement the chef’s menus and underscore the family’s involvement in every aspect of the experience.
Felix Lo Basso Home & Restaurant sits at Via Fomelino 10 in Sorengo.
The location is central yet feels secluded, with a garden and terrace that overlook the protected landscape of the Muzzano lake. Inside, the house has been reorganised into two distinct dining experiences: the Chef’s Table and a Bistrot. The venue also features a pergola and outdoor area for summer dining, allowing guests to enjoy the natural surroundings.
The Chef’s Table is the heart of the restaurant. It offers twelve seats placed around a counter that functions as both stage and kitchen.
Every evening from Wednesday to Saturday the entire group arrives together at 8 p.m. to embark on a tasting journey. Instead of viewing the chef from afar, guests converse with him as he prepares a surprise menu that evolves constantly. The menu changes according to the seasons and the chef’s inspiration, sometimes even from week to week, and is served directly by the ‘Gorilla Team’—Lo Basso’s affectionate nickname for his staff.
This immersive format reflects the chef’s belief that food is a dialogue. Classic dishes might be reinterpreted with playful textures and unexpected ingredients, such as a cuttlefish panna cotta paired with ragu and black ice cream or a Russian salad crowned with king crab and foie gras. The experience emphasises interaction, creativity and constant renewal.
For guests seeking a more traditional, à la carte option, the Bistrot offers a menu inspired by Italian heritage.
Here, diners can enjoy approachable portions and iconic dishes from the chef’s repertoire. There is also a vegetarian menu that celebrates the seasons, and the kitchen is open for lunch from 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 19:00 to 22:00. This dual format allows the restaurant to cater to different moods while maintaining the finesse that defines Chef Lo Basso’s cooking.
Relocating to Switzerland was a deeply personal decision for Chef Lo Basso. In an interview he explained that the move was motivated by the desire to balance his professional ambition with family life after the birth of his son. Milan’s pace left little room for family time, and Sorengo offered a more peaceful environment where he could continue to cook while enjoying more stable hours and a healthier lifestyle.
He still maintains strong ties to Italy and his restaurant in Milan but values the opportunity to work in a greener, calmer setting. The Lugano chapter is not a retreat but a new challenge—a chance to prove that great cooking can flourish outside of big cities. As Lo Basso noted, he came to Switzerland to show that teamwork and network building can elevate a region where the finesdining scene is still developing.
The tasting menus at the Chef’s Table showcase Chef Lo Basso’s ability to blend Apulian memories with contemporary artistry.
A tartlet made with parsley flour and green asparagus mousse might appear alongside Australian Wagyu ham encased in vegetable charcoal wafers, while the peppery spice of Apulian ‘pric or prac’ peppers is transformed into a mousse. Other dishes highlight the chef’s technical mastery: four different textures of cuttlefish paired with yuzu and fermented garlic, a pasta dish with octopus ragu reminiscent of his grandmother’s cooking, and playful reinterpretations of classic salads. Each menu aims to surprise and delight, encouraging diners to engage with the food and the people who create it.
Felix Lo Basso Home & Restaurant in Lugano represents more than a relocation; it is a statement about the future of fine dining.
By blending a homely atmosphere with culinary innovation, Chef Lo Basso and Emiliana Ferraroni have created a unique space where diners participate in the theatre of cooking and share a genuine conversation with those who prepare their food. The restaurant embodies the chef’s journey—from Puglia to Milan to Switzerland—and invites guests to travel with him through flavour, memory and hospitality.