Paolo Casagrande Head Chef, Lasarte and Monument Hotel

A 38-year old Italian who is known for his passion, commitment, and consistency in the kitchen. Paolo fell in love with the culinary world at a young age. He started as a waiter when he was only 13 years old, however, he found that he was “always looking at the kitchen” and knew that he wanted to become a chef. He pushed himself to study at Alfredo Beltrame Hospitality School in northern Italy. After that, Paolo was determined to succeed so he took every holiday and weekend to work and enhance his culinary skills. He then began to travel around Europe and pick up international knowledge.

Paolo originally came to Spain to work for one year under the expert eye of his mentor, Martín Berasategui, however, he ended up staying for 16 years! He has been with Lasarte in Barcelona for the more than six years now and helped the restaurant achieve its prestigious third Michelin star in 2017. Casagrande says that at Lasarte they offer guests a “ complete experience” from the moment they enter the door. Paolo says “we cook what we like” and “play a lot with local products” which makes them stand out as a top-class restaurant. For Paolo, the philosophy at Lasarte is “working in a team every day, everybody is the same, and everyone works towards the same goal.