Italian Culinary Lead – Luxury Hotel Dining

Client of DC Global Talent Inc.; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 400,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Client of DC Global Talent Inc. is seeking a Chef de Cuisine specializing in Italian cuisine for a prestigious luxury beachfront hotel in Abu Dhabi.

This senior leadership role oversees the full Italian kitchen operations for lunch and dinner, ensuring exceptional, consistent dining experiences for an international clientele. The ideal candidate has deep Italian culinary knowledge, proven leadership in luxury settings, and a strong track record in menu development, cost control and HACCP

Qualifications

• Strong authentic Italian cuisine experience.
• Proven experience as a Chef de Cuisine or Senior Sous Chef in luxury hotel/high-end restaurant.
• Deep knowledge of regional Italian traditions, ingredients and techniques.
• Experience leading a kitchen in a luxury hotel or high-end restaurant environment.
• Strong leadership, team development and communication skills.
• Solid understanding of food costing, menu engineering and HACCP compliance.
• Creative, detail-oriented, and passionate about consistently exceptional food.
• Ability to perform in a fast-paced, high-standard, high-volume kitchen environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead all kitchen operations ensuring the highest standards of food preparation, presentation and service.
• Develop and regularly refresh menus that reflect authentic Italian flavours, seasonality and creativity.
• Ensure consistency in taste, quality, portioning and presentation across all service periods.
• Oversee daily mise en place, production schedules and smooth execution across both lunch and dinner service.
• Supervise, train and mentor the culinary team, fostering skill development and a positive kitchen culture.
• Monitor and control food costs, portion sizes, waste and overall kitchen expenses.
• Manage food purchasing, supplier coordination and inventory control.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP food safety regulations and hygiene standards.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef and F&B team on promotions, events and culinary initiatives.

Skills

Italian cuisine

Leadership

Culinary excellence

Cost control

Food safety HACCP

Team development

Job description

Client of DC Global Talent Inc. is seeking a Chef de Cuisine specializing in Italian cuisine for a prestigious luxury beachfront hotel in Abu Dhabi.

This senior leadership role oversees the full Italian kitchen operations for lunch and dinner, ensuring exceptional, consistent dining experiences for an international clientele. The ideal candidate has deep Italian culinary knowledge, proven leadership in luxury settings, and a strong track record in menu development, cost control and HACCP