Volunteers setting the tables

“At the Refettorios - whether in London, Rio de Janeiro, Milan or Paris - guests are invited to sit at communal tables where they are served a full meal by volunteers. The idea behind this kind of hospitality comes from my personal experience running restaurants for the past 30 years. I believe that there is more value in a meal shared at the table together than in a meal eaten alone. The social part of the experience is almost therapeutic - for guests, volunteers and chefs. It creates a convivial atmosphere that helps to rebuild dignity, all around the act of eating a meal.” - Massimo Bottura.

Setting the table with care and love, just like we would at a family dinner, is the first of a series of small but meaningful gestures of hospitality that are aimed at making our guests feel welcome and appreciated.