Pier Daniele Seu's 30-hour dough pizzas arrive at Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai this summer. Try 8 signature pies including La Mia Margherita. No weekend surcharge mentioned. Reservations available.
Tags:It is a lifestyle celebration that weaves together authentic Italian cuisine, artisanal gelato, Franciacorta wines, and al fresco conviviality to evoke the full spirit and emotions of an Italian summer.
At the heart of this experience is Pier Daniele Seu, the Rome-based pizzaiolo whose name has become synonymous with contemporary pizza artistry.
Since 2020, Seu has collaborated with Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts, bringing his signature dough—matured over 30 hours—to create an experience that redefines what pizza can be.
We caught up with the master himself to discuss tradition, innovation, and the art of Italian summer living.
Pier Daniele Seu
What makes your dough so special—and why does it take 30 hours to prepare?
The dough is the heart of everything. The 30-hour maturation process is what gives it that extraordinary lightness and digestibility.
It is not just about time—it's about precision: the right flour, the right hydration, the right temperature control.
When you take that first bite, you should feel a crisp exterior giving way to an airy, tender interior. That texture is the result of patience and respect for the ingredients.
It's a technique I've honed over years of experimentation.
For the L'Estate Italiana event, you've created eight signature pizzas for the Shanghai menu. How do you approach the balance between tradition and innovation?
Tradition is never a constraint—it's the foundation. You have to understand the rules completely before you can break them.
For me, staying true to the essence of Italian pizza means protecting the purity of the dough itself: achieving a light, digestible texture with an impeccable structure.
The innovation comes when I treat that dough as a blank canvas. I use modern culinary techniques—controlling texture, acidity, and temperature contrasts—and incorporate them into my pizza creations.
The goal is to make the toppings as refined as a fine-dining main course, yet never lose the soul of what a pizza should be.
If a guest in Shanghai is trying your pizza for the first time, which one would you recommend?
Without a doubt, the Margherita DOP. It is the ultimate test. For the Bvlgari Pizza Bar, I created my own version called La Mia Margherita.
When you strip away all the complex toppings, you're left with the essentials: the dough, the tomato, the mozzarella, and the oil.
Starting here allows you to truly understand my philosophy—the lightness, the crunch of the crust, and that melt-in-your-mouth texture. If the Margherita is perfect, everything else follows.
Beyond the Margherita, what other creations are you most excited to share in Shanghai this summer?
I've curated a menu that spans from traditional favorites to more daring contemporary works.
The Variazione di Zucchine features seasonal grilled courgettes with fresh mint—crisp and refreshing.
There's the Indiavolata with spicy salami, the Formaggi e Limone with Parmesan and blue cheese, a Cocktail di Gamberi with red prawns, and even a sweet dessert pizza, the Fragola strawberry pizza.
Each one represents a different facet of my culinary imagination.
You've described pizza as a "contemporary language." What do you mean by that?
For a long time, pizza was viewed purely as tradition, almost frozen in time. To say it's a "contemporary language" means it's an evolving canvas.
It's a medium through which we can tell stories, experiment with techniques, and cross cultural boundaries.
Today, that means using avant-garde fermentation techniques and treating toppings with a chef's precision.
It's about a global, modern approach that still respects our Italian roots. Pizza speaks to everyone, but we are changing the vocabulary.
Tell us how pizza fits into the 'Italian Art of Living' that Bvlgari embodies?
The Italian Art of Living is that beautiful mix of il dolce far niente —literally 'the sweetness of doing nothing,' the art of savoring idleness—and effortless elegance.
It is all about conviviality, sharing, and high quality. Pizza is the ultimate food of sharing; it brings people together around a table.
By elevating it to fit the sophisticated atmosphere of Bvlgari, we show that luxury doesn't have to be stiff.
The Pizza Bar setting is interactive—you watch the pizza being made, you smell the wood fire, and you receive a product that is light, tasty, and delicious.
It's refined yet completely relaxed. It allows you to slow down and just enjoy the present moment.
The event also features Il Gelato by three-Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito. How does gelato complement your pizza in the Italian summer experience?
Pizza and gelato belong together in the Italian imagination—they are two expressions of the same philosophy: quality ingredients, craftsmanship, and the joy of sharing.
Il Gelato is made with fresh milk and natural ingredients, with a focus on purity and balance.
There's a beautiful symmetry here: my dough undergoes 30 hours of maturation to achieve lightness and digestibility, and Niko Romito's gelato is crafted with the same restraint—eliminating everything unnecessary to let the main ingredient shine.
When you experience both, you're tasting the full spectrum of Italian culinary artistry, from savory to sweet, all in one summer afternoon.
Pier Daniele Seu's Pizza Bar will be available at Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai throughout the L'Estate Italiana summer program, alongside Il Gelato by Niko Romito.
For reservations and more information, visit the hotel's official website.
Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai, 108 Shanxi Bei Lu, by Tiantong Lu, Jing’an District 山西北路108弄, 近天潼路
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