Born in the city of Palermo in Sicily, Executive Chef Mauro Di Leo had his appetite for the culinary arts take root at an early age whilst he watched his Italian father run his Sicilian seafood family-styled restaurant – Salvinus – with recipes inspired by Di Leo’s grandmother.  A curious and eager learner,  he began his journey as a trainee working at his father’s restaurant during his summer breaks from school.

He further developed this passion for the culinary arts in one of the foremost culinary capitals in the world – London, due to his role at Osteria Dell’arte in Clapham Common where he had the honour of being trained by former Sous Chefs to Gordon Ramsay and Chef Davide Degiovanni followed by Dean Street Townhouse nestled amidst the bustling streets of Soho in Central London.

This gave Executive Chef Mauro Di Leo his first taste of life behind the doors of a fine-dining kitchen and where his culinary skills began to thrive, eventually leading him to the acclaimed Zafferano to work alongside his mentor and Head Chef, Michele Nargi. His contributions led to Zafferano earning a prestigious Michelin star in 2010 and this accomplishment opened several new doors for him - allowing him to join Soho House in London where he developed his proficiency for Asian cuisine.

Thereafter, Chef Mauro joined London favourite, Sumosan Twiga, where he worked with the concept of two separate kitchens and cuisines - Italian and Japanese, which enabled him to further enhance his Italian gastronomic skills whilst mastering the art of Japanese cuisine.

chef Mauro currently takes the lead at FIVE’s award-winning fun-fine dine ristorante, Cinque, where its elevated menu focuses on sophisticated Amalfi-inspired cuisine with a glamourous FIVE twist.