Giuseppe Pino Lavarra has been appointed as Culinary Director at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara has appointed Italian national Giuseppe Pino Lavarra as culinary director.
With a career spanning over three decades, Lavarra's culinary journey began with a rigorous three-year programme at Ipssar A. Perotti, an Italian hospitality kitchen management school in Castellana Grotte, Bari.
In 1986, he embarked on his first role as chef de cuisine at The Marina Mandarin Singapore Hotel Group and Penang Mutiara Beach Resort's Restaurant, La Farfalla. He then assumed a leadership position at Palazzo Sasso in Ravello, Italy, with Virgin Group Hotels as executive sous chef.
His career took him to the prestigious two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons in Oxford, UK, where he served as sous chef from 1998 to 1999, honing his skills under the guidance of the celebrated chef Raymond Blanc. He then joined Park Hyatt The Carlton Tower's Grissini Restaurant in London but returned to Palazzo Sasso with Virgin Group in 2001, as executive chef until 2013. During this period, he led the kitchen to earn two Michelin stars at the fine dining restaurant Rossellinis and managed other outlets, including The Lounge & Bar, Room Service, The Beach Club Restaurant, and selected banqueting events.
In 2013, Lavarra began a new chapter at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong as the culinary director of Tosca Restaurant, where he earned a Michelin star within six months and maintained it until 2018. He then took on the role of executive chef at The Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Doha between August 2018 and 2023. In 2020, he planned and delivered a dinner for Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Italy, during his visit to Doha.
Lavarra's journey also includes leading the opening of Zilos Restaurant in Jeddah earlier this year and contributing as a culinary coach and trainer for various international ventures, such as Nolita Restaurant in Naples and Dorothea in Budapest.