Taste the Mediterranean Mediterranean Dinners in Dubrovnik

At Hotel Excelsior, on Thursday 2 October, chef Carmelo Carnevale, the celebrated Italian in London, will present the flavours of his native Sicily

Lizzie’s cucina and Caffè Amore restaurants in London

“Cooking is the expression of my life,” says chef Carmelo Carnevale, who discovered his passion for cooking at an early age, in his native Sicily. He later developed an interest in regional Italian cuisines, building his professional career with master chefs in various culinary circles from northern to southern Italy. He traveled to London, where he worked with chef Alberico Penati (Michelin star restaurant) and in some of London’s leading restaurants and exclusive clubs such as Harry’s Bar, George’s Club and Annabel’s.

Over the years, chef Carmelo has gained an international career throughout Europe and beyond. He became executive chef at Le Yaca Hotel in St. Tropez, then at the Bella Napoli Group in St. Petersburg, Russia, and then brand chef for the opening of two new Barbaresco restaurants. His restaurant’s menu was awarded the Best Menu of the Year in 2011 by Time Out Russia. Carmelo has also had various experiences as a private chef. He has been invited to prepare exclusive dinners for members of the British Royal Family and for members of the Saudi Royal Family. He had the special honour of participating in the opening and three-year management of Novikov Restaurant in London, one of the world’s leading restaurants. From Novikov, Carmelo became the Regional Executive Chef for Europe, Morocco and Asia at Aman Resorts, a luxury hotel chain considered the best in the world.

He then decided to go it alone. In collaboration with social media consultant Franca Bongiorno Roberts, he founded ChefMéd, a company specializing in catering and restaurant marketing services and business consulting for the Ho.Re.Ca. sector. The chef was President of the Professional Italian Chefs Association UK for 10 years and in March 2013 and 2014 he received the “Stars of Catering” award and the Les Toques Blanches d’honneur Cappello d’Oro award. He believes that his greatest honour was being appointed ambassador of Sicilian culture and cuisine at the Expo World Fair in Milan in 2015. Carmelo’s latest ventures include one of his new restaurants, Lizzie’s Cucina, an authentic Italian restaurant, and Caffè Amore, an Italian boutique coffee shop. He is currently the president and founder of the Italian Culinary Consortium (ICC), a global project involving 18 countries and all categories of the hospitality industry.

Menu Unique Mediterranean dinners in the legendary Hotel Excelsior