When a Three-Michelin-Star Chef Stopped to Watch: Massimo Bottura and the Girls of Sarvam Shakti

On the evening of 27 August 2026, the world's most celebrated chef was welcomed by something else first: a dance by the girls of Sarvam Shakti.

Massimo Bottura's name comes up almost every time someone asks who the best chef in the world is. His restaurant, Osteria Francescana in Modena, holds three Michelin stars and a green Michelin star, and it has twice topped The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, in 2016 and 2018. In 2019, Time magazine named him one of its 100 Most Influential People.

This August, he came back to the capital. Culinary Culture and The Leela Palace New Delhi brought the Osteria Francescana experience back to the city for two exclusive dinners on 27 and 28 August 2026. India clearly means something to him. Before the visit, he said the country had become very special to him and his team. Chef Bottura was welcomed by the girls of Sarvam Shakti with a Bharatanatyam performance, choreographed by our Founder and President, Ms. Nehha Bhatnagar.

The girls of Sarvam Shakti don't come from elite dance academies or expensive training programmes. They come from communities where that kind of access is usually out of reach. Sarvam Foundation has worked with marginalised girls since 2012, offering holistic education, arts and culture, and life skills across Delhi, Gurugram and Bengaluru. Through Sarvam Shakti, the girls train to a level that holds its own in front of any audience, including one of the most discerning in the world.

Being admired by Massimo Bottura carries a particular weight. His reputation rests on more than his cooking. He has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme since September 2024 and founded the non-profit Food for Soul. For every restaurant he is associated with, he makes a point of opening a soup kitchen that serves anyone who walks in. This is someone who has spent years arguing that excellence and dignity belong to everyone. It is fitting that he recognised exactly that in these girls! https://www.instagram.com/p/DdTMQSnkchb/?stkn=MTB5Nmhhbjk2bnVjbA%3D%3D