The Italian Riviera is known for its beautiful coastline, and has access to some of the freshest fish in northern Italy. It’s here, in a little fishing village called Prino outside the city of Imperia in the region of Liguria, that you’ll find Andrea’s Ristorante Sarri, looking out onto the ocean amongst the pastel coloured houses on the beachfront.

Growing up in a family of restaurant owners meant Andrea was always surrounded by food, but he credits his mother’s home-made tagliatelle with tomatoes as the real starting point of his culinary journey. ‘I always used to ask when we were having tagliatelle again. There is nothing sweeter in life than fresh pasta,’ he recalls. He didn’t get a taste of the professional kitchen until the age of fifteen, when falling grades at school prompted his father to get him a job at one of his restaurants to show him what hard work was like. Finding it much more rewarding than schoolwork, Andrea turned cooking into a career and travelled all over Italy and France to gain experience in top restaurants.

He finally returned home to Imperia to open his first restaurant, Agrodolce, in 2004, which is where he really began to develop as a chef. His knowledge and skill led him to becoming president of the Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe (JRE), an association which helps nurture and create opportunities for talented young chefs across thirteen different countries. He retains the title to this day, making him a role model for chefs across Europe, a vital part of Italy’s contemporary food culture and a man who knows how to ensure it remains one of the best in the world. ‘In recent years, Italian cuisine has changed for the better. Those who haven’t noticed this and haven’t started to adapt their cooking have a real problem,’ he warns.

Ten years after opening Agrodolce, Andrea left to open Ristorante Sarri with his wife Alessandra in the nearby fishing village Prino. As the restaurant was located on the coast, it made sense to make use of the incredibly fresh fish and seafood being landed daily a stone’s throw from the kitchen. The menu is changed depending on what the fishermen bring in every day, and there’s always over thirteen different species of seafood on the menu.

Andrea doesn’t neglect the other ingredients in his dishes, however. Most of his fruit, vegetables and olive oil comes from his uncle’s farm, and meat is sourced from nearby Cuneo. His dishes are constantly evolving, and he’s known for never resting on his laurels – something which has brought him plenty of success over the years. ‘I like to start fresh every time when I’m cooking, rather than relying on things I’ve learnt in the past,’ he says. ‘It requires a touch of madness, but if everything goes well there’s an immense sense of satisfaction.’ This is reflected in his restaurant, which combines relaxed surroundings, informal descriptions on the menus and none of the stuffiness that can sometimes hamper the fine-dining experience.