i. Biography
His own line on the work is a useful read on the kitchen: "My cuisine is characterized by Mediterranean lightness and is built on the foundation of classical French cuisine." That balance points to a style built on structure, not weight—clarity in seasoning, discipline in execution, and a preference for clean lines over excess. In Mattias Roock’s case, the sentence functions less as branding than as a working definition of technique.
The Path
Training at Hamburg, the Culinary Institute of America, and Handelskammer Hamburg gave Mattias Roock a technical base before he entered a run of kitchens where standards are enforced every service. He began as cook at Claridge’s in London (from 2002), then moved into a larger leadership remit as Executive Chef at Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in St. Moritz (from 2006). The progression is straightforward: learn the fundamentals, apply them under pressure, and carry them into rooms where precision is part of the brief. The rest of the route shows a chef moving between hotel systems and cities without losing the core of the work. He served as souschef at Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt am Main, then took a stage at Kempinski Hotel in Beijing (2011), before becoming chef at Kempinski Group in Shanghai (2013) and later **chef at Kempinski 5* Hotel Marsa Malaz in Doha (2014–2015). Each posting adds another layer of operational range, but the through-line stays consistent: adaptation, repetition, and a method shaped by high-volume hospitality at an exacting level. Since 2017, that experience has been concentrated at Locanda Barbarossa, Castello del Sole, where Mattias Roock serves as Head Chef**. The role brings the earlier stages into one frame: classical training, hotel discipline, and a style he describes in his own words, now applied with the continuity that comes from staying in one kitchen long enough to refine the work.
The Work Today
At Locanda Barbarossa, Castello del Sole, Mattias Roock’s work since 2017 sits at the point where his training and his hotel experience meet. The kitchen reflects the same framework he names himself—Mediterranean lightness set on classical French cuisine—while drawing on the standards shaped at Claridge’s in London, Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in St. Moritz, Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt am Main, Kempinski Hotel in Beijing, Kempinski Group in Shanghai, and **Kempinski 5* Hotel Marsa Malaz in Doha**. The result is a career defined by consistency across different rooms, not by a single signature that overrides the rest.
In Their Words “My cuisine is characterized by Mediterranean lightness and is built on the foundation of classical French cuisine.”
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Mattias
What is Mattias Roock's current role?
As of 2026, Mattias Roock is Executive Chef.
Where did Mattias Roock train or study?
Mattias Roock trained at Hamburg and Culinary Institute of America.
What recognition has Mattias Roock received?
Michelin star for Cà d'Oro (2011).
