CITITOURNY: Chef Salvo Lo Castro Expands his New York City Empire
- djcdesigneracct
- Jul 20, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Sep 17, 2025
Original Publication Source: https://cititour.com/NYC_News/Chef-Salvo-Lo-Castro-Expands-his-New-York-City-Empire/9732
Chef Salvo Lo Castro, whose culinary résumé includes cooking for popes, fashion icons, and heads of state, is making his biggest New York move yet with the opening of CASASALVO, his first full-service restaurant in the city. Located at 195 Spring Street in Soho, the new restaurant reimagines the former Bandone space as a stylish destination for avant-garde Italian cuisine rooted in the traditions of his native Sicily and shaped by Mediterranean influences from North Africa, Greece, Malta, and Spain. The debut marks a new chapter for Lo Castro, who already operates several CASASALVO cafés across the city, known for Italian pastries, gourmet coffee, and curated products.
Lo Castro’s culinary roots trace back to Catania, Italy, where he was inspired by his grandparents’ hazelnut farm and rotisserie. He honed his skills at the Giovanni Falcone Institute and went on to cook at luxury hotels in Taormina, serving clients like Dolce & Gabbana and Tom Cruise. In Rome, he spent a decade cooking for the Vatican and later became the official chef to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, overseeing state dinners and showcasing regional Italian specialties.
