Dmitri Magi

The Climb

The first professional kitchen often teaches speed, endurance, and where a brigade’s real tempo lives, and Dmitri Magi started there as a dishwasher and kitchen helper. From that base, he moved into the role of chef in Estonia, a stretch that would have demanded consistency as much as technical control. He then took on the role of head of kitchen at popular restaurant in Latvia, a step that marked a shift from execution to directing service. He became chef at Noma in Copenhagen, then moved to Gramercy Tavern in New York and to the kitchen team at Eleven Madison Park in New York. Each house sits in a different part of the modern dining map, and each would have asked something distinct of Magi’s discipline, pace, and precision. The route itself reads plainly: Baltic kitchens, then Copenhagen, then New York, with each stop adding another layer to the same craft. He later served as Executive Chef at Davies & Brook in Claridge's, London (2019–2021), a role inside one of the city’s more closely watched hotel dining rooms. After that came Culinary Director at Claridge's Hotel in London (2022–2023), a title that extended the work beyond the pass and into broader oversight of the house. Today, Dmitri is Managing Partner and Executive Chef of HUMM, where leadership and kitchen authorship sit in the same daily brief.

Today

the pairing places him between two different kinds of pressure: the scale and polish of the hotel environment, and the more direct accountability of an independent project. For a cook trained through work rather than school, it is a fitting arrangement—one that depends on judgment, pace, and the ability to keep standards steady across different systems.

Signature

Dmitri's signature dishes include Celeriac Root in variations with Truffle and Rice, Honey & Lavender Glazed Duck with Plum variations, and Poussin with Cipollini Onion and Truffle. The list points to a cook working with contrast and layering: celeriac with truffle and rice, duck with honey and lavender set against plum, poussin sharpened by Cipollini Onion and Truffle. The common thread is attention to texture, aroma, and the balance between sweet, savory, and earthy notes.

In Their Words “I never went to culinary school, and learned everything I know through my work experience.” “I was 10 years old when I knew I wanted to be a chef, but I was 17 before I walked into my first professional kitchen.”

Recognition

Dmitri's honors include Michelin Guide, 1 star (2020), World's 50 Best Restaurants, No. 1 (2017), Michelin Guide, 3 stars (2011), and The New York Times, 4 stars. Read together, the recognition tracks a career that moved through different systems of evaluation while continuing to draw attention at the top end of the trade. Each mention marks a separate moment, but they all point back to the same pattern: early kitchen work, then responsibility at increasingly visible addresses.