L'Adesso

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Modern Italian cooking rooted in Puglia

L'adesso — "the now" in Italian — is a modern Italian restaurant in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where chef and owner Leonardo Fumarola bridges the cucina della nonna with contemporary technique and presentation. The name captures the philosophy: Italian tradition reinterpreted for the present moment.

Gambero Rosso awarded L'adesso 2 Forks, recognizing it among the most credible Italian restaurants outside Italy — a distinction that reflects both the kitchen's discipline and Fumarola's deep roots in the cuisine.

The chef behind the stove

Leonardo Fumarola was born in 1979 in Puglia, Italy. He began cooking at 13, landed his first kitchen job at 14 in Martina Franca, and went on to work across the Canary Islands, England, and Russia — including a stint with the brigade of Alfonso Iaccarino, one of Italy's few three-Michelin-star chefs. In Rome, he cooked at five-star hotels including the Aldrovandi Palace and Lord Byron, and spent years at Relais Le Jardin, a prominent Roman catering house where his clients ranged from Queen Elizabeth to the G20 summit at Pratica di Mare.

He arrived in Argentina in 2009, and in July 2011 opened L'adesso with a clear intent: 100% modern Italian cooking, using original Italian products, flavors and recipes, executed with updated techniques and plating. He holds the Italian Cuisine Master Chef certificate from the Academia Barilla in Parma, and has been recognized by the Academia della Cucina Italiana multiple times, including the Buona Cucina prizes in 2012 and 2015, and the Cocina Italiana d'Autore 2013 award from the Italian Chamber of Commerce.

The room and the menu

The restaurant occupies a fully renovated space inside the Feel Buenos Aires Appartments. White tablecloths, comfortable chairs, and soft lighting set against paintings by artist Marisa Ciccioli create an atmosphere that is intimate without being stiff. A heated internal garden offers outdoor seating year-round.

The menu moves through antipasti, fresh-made pastas, gluten-free options, and secondi piatti. Some dishes are permanent fixtures; others rotate with the season. The dessert list includes Tiramisú made with Piedmontese biscuit and Segafredo coffee, Pannacotta in three flavors, Bocconotto Pugliese, Sicilian cannoli, and house-made gelato. The wine cellar holds over 100 labels, including Italian selections, and the bar offers classic Italian cocktails — Negroni, Aperol Spritz, Garibaldi, Milano Torino.

Beyond the dining room, Leonardo cooks for private and corporate events, and will come to your home. L'adesso also offers full catering services — a natural extension of a chef who has cooked for heads of state and fashion houses alike.