Christian Lorenzini was born on October 13, 1979, in Siena. His first steps in cooking were tied to his family: his father was chef at a small restaurant near Montalcino. By age 13, Christian was already helping in the kitchen, and a few years later he enrolled at the Pellegrino Artusi culinary institute. There he mastered the fundamentals of Italian gastronomy and laid the foundation for his future career.
After finishing the Pellegrino Artusi culinary institute in Siena, Christian spent several years working and interning in various Italian cities: Siena, Monteriggioni, and Cortina d'Ampezzo. This period gave him a solid knowledge of regional traditions and a feel for seasonality. He later became sous-chef at Osteria La Chiacchera in Siena, earning the owners' trust. When they opened a restaurant in England, it was Christian they entrusted to set up the kitchen there. There, for the first time, he encountered a different pace, a different audience, and different ingredients, which helped him move beyond the Italian school and develop his own style.
Working in London became the starting point of his international career. At 23, Lorenzini was already a head chef, an important milestone in his biography. It was there that he had the encounter that changed his fate: a Moscow guest, impressed by his "filet Rossini" dish, invited the chef to Russia. A trip planned for one or two years turned into a long story.
In Moscow, Christian Lorenzini ran the kitchen of the legendary restaurant "Mario" for three years, then became brand chef of several Ginza Project ventures. He later opened his own restaurant, Christian, where he mixes Italian classics with experimentation: risotto, for instance, sits alongside coal-black pastries. Over time, the chef gave up work on outside projects, focusing solely on his own restaurant. In his words, this let him concentrate on what mattered most — building a kitchen that would become one of Moscow's best.
For Christian, gastronomy is more than a profession — it's a way to tell a story about culture. He believes a cook should always keep learning, discovering new techniques and approaches, or else routine sets in. His philosophy rests on three foundations: respect for the ingredient, seasonality, and a hunger for discovery. Lorenzini is convinced a cook can never consider themselves a finished master — every day in the kitchen should feel like the first.
His restaurant "Christian" ranks among Moscow's best Italian restaurants. The chef himself actively takes part in gastronomic festivals, shares his experience with young cooks, and keeps searching for new ideas. His dream is to create an intimate restaurant in the forest, where the kitchen and nature merge into one.
09.10.2025
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