Private Chef Dario Paddington, QLD, Australia

Everything is better with butter.

Contemporary Italian that’s born from traditional recipes/concepts/techniques but layered with modern creativity. Playful dishes that contain an element of surprise - punchy flavours, good seasoning, & ample crunch (texture!)

Dario knew by the age of eight that he wanted to be a chef - shortly after began his internship at two Michelin star restaurant, ‘Villa Crespi,’ which became the catalyst to his noteworthy career to- date. From here, Dario continued to chase excellence & landed roles at ‘La Contrada’ by Gordon Ramsay, two Michelin starred ‘Met Restaurant’ by Corrado Fasolato, and ‘Apsley’s’ by Heinz Beck. Dario travelled to Australia in 2013 and found a home on Sydney’s northern beaches, joining Giovanni Pilu’s two hatted restaurant ‘Pilu at Freshwater.’ The following four years saw him collect many accolades including Australia’s Best Young Chef of the Year (Cira edition), semi- finalist for San Pellegrino’s Best Young Chef in the World, and the award for Best Pasta in Australia (and Top 10 in the World) at the Barilla Pasta World Championship. Dario moved to Brisbane in 2019 to head ‘Motorwagen’ Restaurant, followed by ‘ZaZaTa’ which saw him achieve Brisbane’s Best New Restaurant Opening of 2021 & an inclusion in Queensland’s Top 50 Restaurants. Later in this same year, he joined the Rosmarino Group overseeing popular Italian restaurant Rosmarino & its sister venue Etna. Under Dario’s culinary guidance as Executive Chef, Rosmarino was awarded in the Top 20 Best Brisbane Venues within one month of opening, & currently remains ranked #14 venue in the Delicious 100 Qld. After four years in this role, Dario decided it was finally time to open his first restaurant & so 'ATTIMI by Dario Manca' was born. Within 4months of opening (in January 2025), ATTIMI was awarded 14 points & 2 chefs’ hats by the AGFG. In July 2025 it was awarded the ‘Best New Restaurant in Queensland & Northern Territory' by the Australian Restaurant & Catering Association (RCA), followed by ‘Best New Restaurant in Australia' also by the RCA in October. Most recently (in January 2026), ATTIMI was awarded 15 points & 2 chefs’ hats by the AGFG.

Europe, Italian, Mediterranean