The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands brings the shores of Lake Garda to the palm-fringed beaches of the Maldives. Michelin-starred Chef Maurizio Bufi and mixologist Rama Redzepi will take guests on an unforgettable culinary journey from February 26 to 28, 2026. Maurizio Bufi, born in the Apulia region, creates modern Mediterranean cuisine that combines Italian roots with contemporary precision. His dishes are characterised by clear flavours, lightness, and understated elegance, with each ingredient speaking for itself. Rama Redzepi learned from the best in Italian bar and cocktail culture, Remo Pizzolito and Samuele Ambrosi. Through his cocktail creations, he elevates Bufi’s vegetarian menu into an entirely new dining experience. Instead of wine, Rama’s cocktails accompany the menu.

As part of the Masters of Crafts and Behind the Bar 2026 series, the resort welcomes this formidable duo from Italy’s Grand Hotel Fasano on Lake Garda. At The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, where each experience is designed to engage all the senses, international masters of their craft bring culinary artistry to life in one of the world’s most extraordinary settings.

The first Culinary Maestro of 2026, Chef Maurizio Bufi, will bring his signature Italian creations to the resort’s Italian restaurant, La Locanda, for two exceptional evenings. On February 26, guests will enjoy the exclusive 4-course vegetarian menu, “Dalla Terra” (from the earth), where vegetables take center stage— even in dessert. Chef Bufi’s risotto combines lemon, burrata, and a hint of licorice, perfectly complemented by cocktails crafted by Rama Redzepi. Wine is not served with this menu, allowing guests to fully savour the interplay of flavours and mixology.

On February 28, Chef Bufi returns with a second 4-course menu, featuring seafood, fish, and meat. Squid is paired with sweetbreads and cashews, while beef ravioli is accompanied by shiitake mushrooms, barley miso, and orange. A curated selection of exquisite wines accompanies this menu, while both evenings begin with a series of amuse-bouchées from the kitchen, designed to prepare the palate for Maurizio’s masterful creations.

Dining at La Locanda is an experience in itself, with overwater tables set beneath the open sky. Guests can immerse themselves in the same sense of place as Lake Garda’s Il Fagiano, where lights shimmer across Italy’s largest lake, while enjoying the flavours of the Maldives.

Meanwhile, Bar Manager and Mixologist Rama Redzepi will take over the resort’s EAU Bar for three nights, presenting his signature cocktails as part of the Behind the Bar 2026 series. His four creations include “Il Tramonto Sul Lago,” inspired by the landscapes and sunsets of Lake Garda; “Midori No Sakura,” inspired by Japan and the tea ceremony; “From Jalisco to Benaco,” a journey from Mexico to Lake Garda; and “Total Branco,” representing Porto, the birthplace of port wine.

At the EAU Bar, the transition from day to night is brought to life each evening through the resort’s Defining Moment ritual. For three days in February, guests can enjoy the magic of the island alongside a taste of Lake Garda, echoing Rama Redzepi’s summer terrace at La Terrazza, overlooking the boat dock and shimmering waters of the Italian lake.

Maurizio Bufi grew up in southern Italy, in Puglia, and from an early age he was so enthusiastic about the flavous and ingredients of his homeland that he developed a desire to become a chef. After training as a chef, he was drawn to Lake Como, then to the high seas on a cruise ship, and finally to Switzerland and then Lake Garda, where he earned his first star at Villa Giulia. In 2024, his restaurant Fagiano at the Grand Hotel Fasano was awarded a Michelin star.

To this day, he has retained his childhood memories and respect for all products, and vegetables, which play a major role in Apulian cuisine, have also become increasingly important to Bufi. His cuisine is based on seasonality, sustainability, and the careful selection of the best Italian products, with technique serving exclusively to emphasise the purity of flavour without overshadowing it. Abroad, he encountered new products, spices, and preparation methods, which he skilfully combines with his Mediterranean cuisine.

Rama Redzepi, born in Pristina, moved to Italy at the age of 13. He comes from a multicultural family and quickly fell in love with his new country, which he embraced wholeheartedly. His passion belongs to the bar – he is a mixologist and has been bar manager at the Grand Hotel Fasano for 12 years, which received the “Best Hotel Bar in Lombardy” award from Gambero Rosso in 2020. Rama discovered his love of bartending at a beach bar in Veneto. This passion led him on a successful career path throughout Europe. After a first stop at a hotel bar in Frankfurt, he moved to Spain and developed a deep love for gin and tonic. Upon his return to Italy, two leading figures in Italian bar and cocktail culture, Remo Pizzolitto and Samuele Ambrosi, took him under their wing, and Rama became a bartender.

His bar at the Grand Hotel Fasano stocks over 70 gins and 30 tonic waters. Rama Redzepi has created cocktails to accompany each course of Maurizio Bufi’s “Dalla Terra” (English: from the earth) menu. Wine is not served with this menu, opening up a whole new world of enjoyment for guests.

At Restaurant Fagiano, the culinary flagship of the Grand Hotel Fasano, Chef Maurizio Bufi shapes the cuisine with his modern, Mediterranean-inspired signature style. Awarded a Michelin star since 2024, Fagiano stands for precise flavors, elegant lightness, and cuisine that interprets Italian tradition in a contemporary way. The gastronomic offering is complemented by Rama’s Bar, run by Bar Manager Rama Redzepi, who creates a stylish meeting place in the heart of the historic building with creative signature drinks and classic bar culture. Between palm trees, lakeshore, and Belle Époque ambience, a place has been created where enjoyment, style, and the Italian way of life come together in a special way.

For more information and bookings, visit the resort’s website.