FRANCESCO ACQUAVIVA

SOCIAL BY HEINZ BECK

An extrovert and incredibly curious with a touch of craziness, Francesco Acquaviva grew up in his native Rome with a passion for food in his blood. Francesco wanted to be a chef since he was a child, thanks to his mother who inspired him to become a chef. Inspired by famous chefs, he used to dream of working in a three Michelin-starred restaurant. He looked up to Heinz Beck in particular and sent his CV to La Pergola several times before he finally got the opportunity to work with him. The German chef answered him seven years later and took him to the three-starred Roman restaurant where Francesco showed his passion for the sweet side of the meal. For Francesco, being mentored by Heinz was a great motivation and he’s always had the opportunity to freely share his ideas. The team follows Heinz’s philosophy to offer guests a well-balanced, Italianinspired dishes without sacrificing taste. Francesco has passed through the kitchens at La Taverna Angelica, Giuda Ballerino, Splendid Royal, Jolanda Ristorante, Hotel De Russie, Casa del Jazz, Il Convivio Troiani and l’Hosteria dell’Orso with Gualtiero Marchesi to name a few. Francesco’s remarkable drive took to Dubai, where since December 2013, he’s been the pastry chef at Social By Heinz Beck at the Waldorf Astoria, Palm Jumeirah. This was an impressive career move for someone who wasn’t born into the business, coming from a family of nurses.