Vecchio Forno

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Family Story Rooted in Southern Italy

The story of Vecchio Forno begins more than half a century ago in the Italian countryside. Chef Luigi Cesarano was born into a Neapolitan farming family in southern Italy, where he learned to cultivate ingredients, master the art of salumeria, and make natural wines aged in amphorae — skills passed down by his father. After graduating from the Escuela Hostelera de Sorrento, Luigi went on to lead kitchens in Naples, Milan, and Bern before his heart brought him to Mexico in 1993. He opened Casa d'Italia in 1995, then Vecchio Forno in 2011, building what has become one of the most respected Italian restaurants in Mexico City.

Today the trattoria is run by Luigi's twin sons, Patrizio and Nicolo Cesarano, who have added contemporary touches and new creations while keeping the flavors of authentic Italian cooking firmly at the table's center.

The Kitchen: Artisanal and Uncompromising

The menu at Vecchio Forno reads like a careful tour of the Italian peninsula. Pastas are made fresh by hand — spaghetti carbonara with pancetta and parmesano, pappardelle with a slow red-wine ragù, ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach in a rosé sauce. Stone-oven pizzas anchor the menu alongside risotti that push into richer territory: truffle and burrata, saffron with jumbo shrimp, pear and gorgonzola. Seafood dishes draw on the Amalfi tradition — snapper with capers and lemon, tuna with balsamic over a parmesan risotto. Seasonal specials sourced from Naples, Milan, Rome, and Tuscany rotate through, ensuring regulars always find something new.

The kitchen also sources vegetables and greens from agroecological and fair-trade projects, and accommodates gluten-free and vegan preparations — gluten-free pasta is cooked separately with dedicated utensils.

Quality here carries an official stamp: Vecchio Forno holds the Ospitalità Italiana certification, a recognition granted to Italian restaurants abroad that meet rigorous standards of authenticity. That credibility, alongside a Gambero Rosso slice awarded in 2024, confirms what regular diners in Roma Norte have known for years — this is Italian cooking done with conviction.

The Room and the Experience

Vecchio Forno sits on Avenida Veracruz in the heart of the Roma Norte neighborhood, a few steps from the Roma-Condesa axis. The setting welcomes a wide range of occasions: a solo lunch, a business dinner, a romantic evening, or a gathering of friends. The wine list is exclusively Italian, spanning Prosecco, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Primitivo from Salento, and a house red bottled under the Vecchio Forno label. A cocktail program built around Negroni variations, Spritz formats, and creative Martinis rounds out the drinks offer.

Private events, catering, and special requests are all handled through the restaurant's events team.