He was born and raised in Modena, Italy by his parents Alfio Bottura and Luisa Bottura. Massimo has two siblings including Paolo and Andrea. He developed an interest in cooking from a young age after watching his mother, grandmother, and aunt in the kitchen preparing family meals.
Massimo was an apprentice to chef Georges Coigny. He also worked with Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo in 1994. Ducasse invited him to the stage in his kitchen following a surprise visit to Trattoria del Campazzo.
