Best Restaurants Owned by Football Players
The restaurant sector has become a natural extension for some player’s life after football. Drawing on personal taste, background, and long-term vision, these ventures reflect an interesting move into food and dining. Here are the five best restaurants owned by football players.
Alessandro Del Piero — N10
Alessandro Del Piero’s N10 is a restaurant that reflects his personality rather than his fame. Located in Los Angeles, the concept combines classic Italian cuisine with a contemporary, city-driven approach that fits its surroundings. The menu focuses on refined Italian staples, executed cleanly and consistently, without turning the football connection into a theme. Del Piero’s involvement is visible in the details: the name, the tone, and the balance between heritage and modernity. N10 works because it positions itself first as a neighbourhood restaurant, not a football attraction. Guests come for the food, stay for the atmosphere, and return because it feels natural rather than performative.
Clarence Seedorf — Finger’s
Clarence Seedorf stepped directly into the high-end dining world with Finger’s, a Japanese-inspired restaurant concept that launched in 2004. From the start, Finger’s positioned itself as a night-out destination, combining sleek interiors with a strong focus on sushi, creative small plates, and a fashionable crowd that blends football, business, and culture.
The brand quickly grew beyond a single location in Milan, opening more restaurants later and expanding Rome and Porto Cervo. Finger’s operates with a full professional team managing the day-to-day business, while Seedorf’s involvement helped turn it into a recognizable global lifestyle name rather than a short-term celebrity project.
Leonardo Bonucci — Lève
Leonardo Bonucci’s step into the restaurant world is deliberately low-key, and that is exactly what makes it stand out. He owns Lève, a restaurant in Turin, which is presented as a serious local business rather than a celebrity-driven hotspot.
The focus around Lève stays on food, atmosphere, and consistency, not on Bonucci’s name as a marketing tool. Public coverage highlights his involvement without turning the restaurant into a spectacle, reflecting a clear intention to build something lasting and rooted in the city. It is a straightforward example of a footballer investing in a real, tangible project aimed at a regular audience instead of short-term hype.
Cristiano Ronaldo — TATEL
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the co-owners of TATEL, a high-end Spanish restaurant concept that started in Madrid in 2014. He launched the project together with Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol, combining football, tennis, and lifestyle into one hospitality brand. TATEL focuses on modern Spanish cuisine, live music, and a social dining atmosphere, making it more than just a place to eat.
Since opening in Madrid, TATEL has expanded to cities like Ibiza, Dubai, Beverly Hills, and Riyadh, showing how serious the project is as a global business. Ronaldo does not run the restaurant day to day, but his name helps attract international attention and tourism. The concept fits his wider brand strategy. Premium, international, and built to last beyond his playing career.
Javier Zanetti — El Patio del Gaucho
Javier Zanetti’s restaurant El Patio del Gaucho sits on the ground floor of the Sheraton Milan San Siro hotel, bringing Argentine flavours to one of Italy’s most dynamic cities. Opened in August 2019, the venue celebrates classic Argentinian cuisine with a specialty in grilled meats and traditional dishes, guided by an expert Argentine grill master at the heart of the kitchen. The menu features prime cuts of meat, fresh seafood, empanadas, and vegetable options, along with a selection of wines and cocktails that complement the rich, bold flavours.
The restaurant’s design combines contemporary style with a welcoming atmosphere, making it suitable for dinners with friends, family gatherings, or special occasions. El Patio del Gaucho also offers a Sunday experience known as Asado del Domingo, where diners can enjoy a more relaxed midday meal centered around shared grilled dishes. With high ratings on major restaurant platforms and a location in a central Milan neighbourhood, it has become a well-regarded destination for Argentinian fare in the city.
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