Four Seasons Hotel Doha

Four Seasons Tenure

• Originally 2015; now since 2023
• First Four Seasons Position: Trainee, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

Employment History

• Almar Jesolo Resort and Spa, Jesolo, Italy; Executive Chef, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy; Private Chef, Guanacaste, Costa Rica; Jams Group, Askim, Norway; Central Square, Guanacaste, Costa Rica; CLDesign, Guanacaste, Costa Rica; La Sodita Italiana, Guanacaste, Costa Rica; Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Milan, Italy; Four Seasons Hotel Firenze; Charcoal Group, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; ABA Architects Inc, Waterloo; Kyano Spyna, Sicily; Regione Siciliana, Catania, Italy

Education

• Diploma, Science, Liceo Scientifico E.L. Martin, Latisana, Italy; Diploma, Civil Engineering, Padova University, Italy; Diploma, Culinary Arts, Boscolo Etoile Academy, Italy

Birthplace

• Latisana, Italy

Languages Spoken

• Italian, English, Spanish

“I’ve never been comfortable in a ‘comfort zone,’ and this place shakes me out of it every day,” says Claudio Leanza of the many challenges and rewards of his role as Chef de Cuisine of Elements, the newly re-imagined Mediterranean dining experience at Four Seasons Hotel Doha. From working with a range of regional cuisines, to polishing the interactive atmosphere of the dining room, to sparking enthusiasm from the talent in the back of the house, Claudio has plenty on his plate – and no complaints. “There are so many opportunities for me to develop my ideas here, but also to learn a lot. I’m studying night and day.”  

Laid out on the Hotel’s ground floor with views of greenery, the swimming pool and the Arabian Gulf through floor-to-ceiling windows and from an outdoor terrace, Elements has been recast as a feast for the senses serving original comfort-style dishes shaped by culinary traditions from every corner of the Mediterranean. As the all-time favorite outlet on property, there is little downtime for the restaurant team, especially at breakfast when Elements is the sole dining option onsite.

With creative freedom to fashion the Elements menu, Claudio draws inspiration from seasonal ingredients and his team. There are 18 chefs working with him in full view of diners in the restaurant’s open kitchen or at live stations scattered through the dining room. All of them were previously employed by the original Elements, which specialized in modern international fare. “I’m the only one brand new to the team, and they are all new to Mediterranean cuisine,” he says with smile. “They share their knowledge, and I share my experience. It’s great for creativity.”

Claudio’s leadership is great for creativity, too. He’s “not bossy,” he says, noting that he prefers to listen and support people’s ambitions rather than tell them what to do. “I’m rarely in meetings. I’d rather spend time building connections to understand what everyone needs to enhance their skills.”

Like so many Italian chefs, Claudio was inspired early to the kitchen while helping his mother prepare Sunday lunches for the family. Yet, the most pivotal factor in his falling for cooking was necessity. Growing up in Latisana along the Tagliamento river in North-Eastern Italy, his parents worked long hours as doctors and soon enough he realized he had to learn to cook for himself.

He didn’t jump right into culinary as a career, however. Instead, he earned diplomas first in science, then in civil engineering. The latter led to his employment at an architectural design firm in Waterloo, Ontario, and he supplemented his income with restaurant work on weekends.

Finally, in 2012, Claudio returned to Italy to study culinary arts in Tuscany and then landed a plum position as a trainee at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze in Florence. The experience proved enlightening and helped him focus on success. “I learned about the culture of luxury as well as to think of those I worked with as family. I also realized how much I needed to grow my skills and knowledge.”

He addressed the latter through travel, discovering far-flung cuisines and the cultures behind them while rising in management and responsibilities at restaurants and as a private chef in Costa Rica, Norway, and other destinations. The professional experiences he had along the way, including as part of pre-opening teams, confirmed what Claudio knew from the start: “Four Seasons really appealed to me. So, I kept my eye out for opportunities to come back. To be in a position now to reach beyond Europe to the cuisines of places like North Africa, Syria, and Turkey is a dream.”

But it’s hardly his only one. Now in a groove at Elements, Claudio feels right at home with the intensity and responsibilities of his new position. “I’m a dreamy person with a lot of aspirations, and it all comes from the passion I have for what I’m doing,” he says. “Some people tell me I’m crazy to work such long hours, but I just tell them it makes me happy.”