A two-day culinary journey through Cortina d’Ampezzo combining a progressive lunch through five of the town’s most distinctive restaurants with an unforgettable pastry breakfast at 1,778 meters in the Dolomites.
For two days each September, Cortina d’Ampezzo celebrates the extraordinary culinary talent of the Dolomites with The Queen of Taste—an intimate gastronomic experience that turns the Queen of the Dolomites into a journey through food, wine, people, and place.
Created by Cortina For Us together with the Chef Team Cortina, The Queen of Taste brings together some of the region’s most accomplished chefs, visiting culinary talent, winemakers, producers, and pastry chefs for an experience designed around one fundamental idea: discovering Cortina through its cuisine.
We had the privilege of experiencing the 2026 edition firsthand, beginning with the heart of the weekend: the Cortina Chef Tour, an exclusive progressive lunch limited to just 200 guests.
The afternoon began with an opening aperitivo at the newly reopened Hotel Ancora before guests separated into small groups and embarked on a five-stop culinary journey through Cortina. Rather than spending several hours at a single table, we moved between five of the town’s distinctive restaurants—Baita Fraina, Tivoli, Al Camin, Villa Oretta, and the newly opened 1224 Restaurant Cortina.
The caliber of culinary talent gathered for the afternoon was exceptional. Tivoli, led by Chef Graziano Prest, holds a Michelin star, while Baita Fraina and Al Camin are recognized by the Michelin Guide. At 1224, Chef Federico Rovacchi brings an extraordinary pedigree of his own, having spent nearly six years working under Norbert Niederkofler at the legendary three-Michelin-starred St. Hubertus in San Cassiano before later leading the kitchen at Baita Piè Tofana. Bringing this concentration of talent together for only 200 guests made the experience feel remarkably intimate and exclusive.
At each stop, resident chefs collaborated with fellow members of the Chef Team Cortina and visiting chefs to create a course specifically for the event, accompanied by thoughtfully selected wines. What we particularly loved was that the experience became as much about discovering Cortina as eating—being transported by luxury bus from one restaurant to another, meeting the chefs, tasting their individual interpretations of the mountains, and seeing just how varied contemporary Dolomite cuisine has become.
The journey ultimately returned to Hotel Ancora for a grand finale devoted to pastry.
And the experience didn’t end there.
On Sunday morning, guests ascended the mountain to Rifugio Col Druscié at 1,778 meters for Colazione in Quota—a high-altitude breakfast devoted to contemporary pastry. Master Pastry Chef Massimo Alverà was joined by visiting pastry chefs for a final morning of exceptional sweets, conversation, and extraordinary views over the Dolomites.
Having experienced the entire weekend ourselves, what distinguishes The Queen of Taste is the access. There are no endless exhibition halls, anonymous tasting booths, or crowds separating you from the people creating the food. Instead, a limited number of guests are welcomed directly into the restaurants, kitchens, mountains, and culinary community of Cortina.
It is intimate, sophisticated, distinctly Dolomite, and exactly the kind of experience worth planning a journey around.
