i. Biography
Marcelo Di Giacomo is the Argentine former chef of Virtus in Paris, France, where the cooking reads as refined French work with Mediterranean inflection. The plates are built for lightness, simplicity, roundness, and close attention to seasonal products, giving the restaurant’s food a clear line rather than a crowded one.
The Climb
Marcelo Di Giacomo was chef pâtissier of Virtus from 2016. In that span, he has shaped the dessert side of the kitchen with the kind of restraint that carries weight in pastry, where excess can be easy and control is harder. At Virtus, his work suggests a chef settled into the tempo of the house, building sweets that stay in step with the restaurant’s identity and the seasons. The role reads as an ongoing fit with the kitchen rather than a passing stop.
Today
At the Paris restaurant, Di Giacomo works by subtraction rather than accumulation, giving each element a defined place. The style is direct and measured, built on the idea that flavor does not need volume to register. Plates tend to sit within a limited field of taste, where balance matters as much as intensity and where texture and temperature do part of the work usually handed to ornament. He puts it plainly: "There are only three or four flavors on the plate." That approach leaves the dishes composed and deliberate, pared to the point where the essential idea stays visible.
Signature
Marcelo's signature dishes include Wagyu Sirloin, Eggplant, Smoked Paprika, and Chimichurri Sauce and panettone. Read together, they point to a kitchen that relies on precision, grounding, and contrast, with richness checked by freshness and the final balance kept under control.
In Their Words “Mauro Colagreco taught us to respect products, master the cooking of vegetables, work whole cuts for fish and meat, and use aromatics.” Taken as a working principle, that line frames Di Giacomo’s own method: ingredients remain legible, technique stays in service of clarity, and the emphasis falls on vegetables, whole cuts, and aromatics. It is a cooking vocabulary shaped by handling, patience, and exactness. “There are only three or four flavors on the plate.” That sentence names the rule behind the work at Virtus. It is a cuisine of reduction, where every component is chosen to support a focused whole. In that economy, simplicity functions as structure, not absence.
Recognition
Marcelo's honors include MICHELIN Guide — one star (2019).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Marcelo
What recognition has Marcelo Di Giacomo received?
MICHELIN Guide — one star (2019).
What is Marcelo Di Giacomo known for?
He cooks a French cuisine with Mediterranean influences, lightness, simplicity, roundness, seasonal products, and only three or four flavors on the plate.
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