Chef

PAOLO LAVEZZINI

Emiliano originally from Salsomaggiore Terme, when asked how he decided to become a chef, Paolo Lavezzini puts his hands on "I know it sounds like a cliché, but I can't help but say that my grandmother influenced me, who raised me when I woke up with the smell of the sauce, the pots on the fire and the glass misted by the steam ".

Following a short career as a footballer, Paolo Lavezzini started working in the most important restaurants on the Tuscan coast when he was only 16 years old. After joining the brigade of Chef Angelo Paracucchi, at the Carpaccio restaurant at the Royal Monceau (Paris), he worked in the most prestigious starred restaurants in Europe, such as Alain Ducasse *** at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, for seven years at Enoteca Pinchiorri *** in Florence, Chef at the Plaza de Russie in Viareggio (Lucca).

He then moved to Brazil in 2012 as Executive Chef for the Hotel Fasano in Rio de Janeiro, leading his restaurant to be recognized as the best Italian restaurant in Brazil, before joining the opening team of the Four Seasons Hotel São Paulo, where he led the “Neto” restaurant for two years as Executive Chef, awarded with three forks on the “Gambero Rosso Internacional” of 2019.

2021 is the starting point of his new adventure as Four Seasons Hotel Firenze Executive Chef at 1 Michelin-star restaurant Il Palagio. Paolo Lavezzini defines himself as “with an Italian heart and a Brazilian soul”. His cooking philosophy was influenced both by his country of origin, Emilia Romagna, and by his numerous experiences of haute cuisine in Tuscany, and by his period of work and life in Brazil, where he approached ingredients and flavors. locals. From his Brazilian experience, he also brings with him the attention to seasonality and the importance of choosing a sustainable cuisine and respecting the ingredients.