You’re not quite in Berlin anymore; instead you’re somewhere between a Fellini film, your Italian friend’s living room and hard launching your very own rat girl summer. At the centre of it all are Luca Lagorio and Lorenzo Gaveglio, the co-hosts and founders of the Rat Supper Club – a name born from Berlin’s unmistakable rattiness and the “rat girl summer” trend from a couple of years back. Now, the supper club treats diners to something between nouvelle cuisine and home-cooked, heartfelt hospitality.
Any form of art, including cooking, has to innovate and express the time we live in … we can’t just keep reproducing the same things.
Both trained architects, Lagorio and Gaveglio bring an uncanny attention to structure, not just in plating, but in pacing, design and clever pop culture references. As Gaveglio sees it, “Any form of art, including cooking, has to innovate and express the time we live in … we can’t just keep reproducing the same things.”
Their first supper was a trial run among friends, themed around contrast in flavours and ideas. Being meticulous by nature, the pair attended supper clubs across both Berlin and Italy, eventually landing on their own version of the concept, keeping things both artistic and distinctively personal.
Since then, the monthly dinners have evolved into two consecutive evenings, with 10-12 people per dinner, hosted in a rotating mix of cosy, private apartments and stylish event spaces. Diners can expect a carefully crafted seven- to eight-course dinner, which comes with an optional pairing from Berlin-based XTC WINE or their alkoholfrei alternative, homemade kombucha.
Though their food is deeply rooted in Italian heritage (with Lagorio hailing from Liguria and Gaveglio from neighbouring Piedmont), they know not every nonna will approve of their liberated approach to Italian cooking that ultimately calls for a balance of creativity and quality.
A recent dessert featured a tofu-based dark chocolate mousse with beetroot chutney, almond croccante, a dusting of coffee and a pickled Chioggia beet. One of their most eye-catching dishes was inspired by both Ligurian cuisine and the towers of San Gimignano: cubes of boiled potato and crunchy green beans stacked into edible spires, surrounded by a sea of homemade pesto and a decadent drizzle of basil oil. Another favourite: vegan gnocchi alla Romana, finished with a sprinkle of housemade coconut bacon, baked until crispy and glistening like pancetta, fitting for their vegetarian-leaning menu.
This isn’t about recreating old-school trattoria vibes; sharing food is one of the oldest and most instinctive ways that humans bond. “The best achievement is when you hear guests laughing and talking the whole time,” Lagorio says. “It means you’re creating a setting where they feel comfortable to enjoy themselves naturally.”
Unlike the traditional restaurant experience, where you’re often confined to your own social bubble, the supper club encourages group chatter while savouring slow moments. And it’s more than the food and rotating themes that keeps people coming back. Their hosting style, from the shared welcome aperitivo to the nostalgic playlist, emphasises warmth and charm.
At June’s tomato-and-bread-themed edition Eva Lebedeva, who has attended three RSC dinners, remarked, “I like Luca and Lorenzo, they are amazing people and incredibly creative. Every time they do something, they put their whole soul into it. They’re great chefs, even though they didn’t formally study it. I think they’re both really cool, and that’s reflected in their audience.”
As for where the pair gets their inspiration, just about anything is fair game. “It’s something we learned in architecture school: to be inspired by everything around us,” shares Gaveglio. Over the past year, the Rat Supper Club has hosted dinners built around thoughtful and intentional themes.
A Roma Se Magna Cosí (“that’s how we eat in Rome”) channelled classic Roman comfort food, while La Mia Liguria paid homage to Lagorio’s upbringing on the Italian Riviera. Meanwhile, the pasta-and-pickles-themed supper celebrated farm-to-table winter produce, allowing carbs and crunch to find a balance between comfort and contrast – fitting for a night comprised of flea market cutlery, curated vintage decor and organic produce.
Each new supper club edition gives space for a reimagining: a different angle, a new theme, a chance to reflect the moment. “Hosting a supper club gives us the privilege of being able to change the theme, setting and perspective as we see fit,” Lagorio reflects.
More than a meal, it’s a night worth remembering for the heartfelt connection and expressive plating. A night that lingers long after the plates are cleared: a touch ratty, and fully satisfying for the belly and soul.
- Rat Supper Club, follow @ratsupperclub on IG for more info and supper club updates.
