Michele Berlendis

Chef Michele Berlendis is the hands and heart of MaMa Florence, since he joined the team in 2016. A native-born Tuscan, he attended a technical school specializing in hospitality and during weekends, worked in a local restaurant where his passion for the kitchen was born. His most significant formative restaurant experience was working alongside chef Filippo Saporito, who he defines as his culinary guru, at La Leggenda dei Frati. After honing his skills, Michele moved to Berlin where he worked at the premier Italian restaurant Boccadibacco and helped run Caffe Pfoertner. Michele’s approach to cooking is dynamic and he loves experimenting with simple flavors so the taste of the genuine ingredients he uses can really come through. He reinterprets classic recipes to give them his personal touch. You can find him coordinating the order from the butcher, finding the freshest seasonal produce at the local vegetable market, or in his chef’s whites in front of the stovetop at MaMa sharing his knowledge with smiling participants.