Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

Four Seasons Tenure 

• Since 2016
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Four Seasons Hotel Beijing

Employment History

• La Dame de Pic, Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square; Amber, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong; El Celler De Can Roca, Girona, Spain; Mio, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, China; The Ledbury, London; La Pergola, Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Italy; Apsleys, The Lanesborough, London, Oetker Collection; Harry’s Bar, Rome, Italy

Education 

• Diploma in Culinary Art, IPSSAR Tor Carbone, Rome, Italy

Birthplace

• Rome, Italy

Languages Spoken

• Italian (native), English (fluent), Spanish (beginner)

Luca Piscazzi’s culinary philosophy is as simple as it is heartfelt: “I love to eat,” he says. “Sharing food with friends, celebrating meals together and making people happy through food is my life’s purpose.”   

It’s a mission that Piscazzi excels in. From his grandmother’s kitchen in Rome to some of the world’s most prestigious fine dining establishments, the visionary chef has carved out a glittering career marked with Michelin stars and global acclaim. Following a Diploma in Culinary Art in his native Italy, Piscazzi’s talent for crafting playful yet exquisitely refined cuisine led to roles across a string of Michelin-starred restaurants from Italy to London, Spain and Hong Kong. In the UK capital, he served as head chef to the trailblazing French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, at her restaurant La Dame de Pic. Located within Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square, the venue achieved two Michelin stars during Piscazzi’s tenure. Piscazzi’s first solo venture, as Head Chef at the newly relaunched Pelagos in Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, earned its first Michelin star within six months of opening, placing Athens firmly on the map as a world-class dining destination.

While Piscazzi’s career is nothing less than stellar, his approach is refreshingly down-to-earth. Inspired by a childhood spent learning to cook classic Italian dishes by his grandmother’s side, sharing homemade food prepared with love remains his unerring inspiration. At Pelagos, Piscazzi’s exceptional flair is translated into beautifully unfussy cuisine that showcases the quality of its pure natural ingredients – and the pleasure of eating them. Inspired by Pelagos’ seafront setting, Piscazzi’s menus are a thrillingly simple celebration of sea and seasonality, bringing out the rich flavours, subtle textures and aromas of fresh Greek and Mediterranean produce. “I am laser-focused on innovatively and sustainably showcasing seasonal produce from the land and, particularly, the sea that surrounds us,” he says. The result is a mesmerising, visceral experience, created through vibrant dishes that sing with the warmth of sunlit summer days in the Mediterranean. It’s this passion for exploring artisan ingredients that led him to establish Pelagos on Tour - an annual week-long expedition and subsequent summertime menus that showcase under-the-radar destinations, support small producers, and shine a light on exemplary local products.

Piscazzi’s forward-looking interpretation of fine dining hinges on the perfect balance between classicism and experimentation. Inspired by eating leftover pasta from the fridge, he created an artfully refined version for his signature Caviar Pasta dish at Pelagos: cold mancini spaghetti dressed in clam emulsion, with almonds, bronze fennel and glistening black pearls of Krystal Caviar that has won the hearts of diners from around the world and garnered critical acclaim. Other innovative experiments such as dry-ageing fish in mastic took numerous attempts to perfect, before Piscazzi hit upon the exact technique and balance of flavours required to dazzle the palate.

At the heart of Piscazzi’s innovative cuisine is a desire to create joy and connection. One of his favourite pastimes is cooking classic Italian pizza and pasta with his two young children, passing on the culinary skills and love of food that his grandmother gave to him. His natural warmth and enthusiasm also radiate through every aspect of Pelagos. “I believe that people go to a restaurant to enjoy themselves,” he says. “I want to offer a restaurant experience that brings happiness. My greatest inspiration is to create dishes that go beyond the food, that take people on a journey and celebrate the simple pleasures of life.”