i. Biography
The Path
Neil O'Connell's CV tracks the kind of kitchen authority that is earned in increments: Senior Sous Chef at Michael Caines At Abode (2007–2010), then Sous Chef at DEVONSHIRE ARMS (BOLTON ABBEY) LIMITED (2010–2011), followed by Corporate Development Chef at Michael Caines Restaurants (2011). Each move added scope, but the work remained grounded in the same fundamentals: precision, pace, and control. Executive Chef at The Lowry Hotel (2011–2013) pushed that brief further, where service management and consistency sat alongside the cooking itself. At Fontainebleau Miami Beach, first as Executive Chef of vida at Fontainebleau Miami Beach (2013–2015) and then as Executive Chef of scarpetta at Fontainebleau Miami Beach (2015–2018), Neil O'Connell worked through a sustained run of kitchen leadership in a high-output setting. The repetition of the role across two concepts at the same property signals a period of refinement, with execution holding the line over time. That scale continued at Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel sbe (2018–2020) as Executive Chef, then broadened into corporate oversight as director of culinary at C3 by sbe (2020–2022). A brief stretch as Senior Director of Culinary at C3 by sbe (2022) kept him in the same operational lane. In 2022, he returned to the kitchen as Executive Chef at Pastis (2022–2024), then moved to Executive Chef The Occidental at STARR Restaurants (2024–2026). Since 2026, Neil O'Connell has held Director of Culinary and Corporate Executive Chef of Park Lights, a title that gathers years of restaurant-side and group-level experience into one remit.
The Work Today
Those current roles place the work at the junction of line-level standards and broader program control. The throughline in Neil O'Connell's career is not a single venue style, but the repeated responsibility of making kitchens hold together under pressure, whether in a hotel, a restaurant, or a corporate structure. That kind of progression tends to build a chef who understands both the plate and the system behind it. Park Lights represents that consolidation: years spent moving between Michael Caines At Abode, DEVONSHIRE ARMS (BOLTON ABBEY) LIMITED, Michael Caines Restaurants, The Lowry Hotel, vida at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, scarpetta at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel sbe, C3 by sbe, Pastis, and The Occidental at STARR Restaurants now sit behind a role that extends across operations and culinary direction. The result is a career defined by continuity rather than reinvention, with each post building on the last.
Signature
Neil's signature dishes include tuna carpaccio, onion soup, escargot, duck confit, and chicken paillard. Those dishes sketch a chef working with recognizable forms and measured execution. Tuna carpaccio points to restraint and clean handling; onion soup and escargot sit in a classic register; duck confit brings in patience and richness; chicken paillard keeps the list moving toward a leaner finish. The set suggests range without theatrics, and a comfort with dishes that depend on timing, texture, and consistency more than embellishment.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Neil
Where did Neil O'Connell work before?
Neil O'Connell's earlier career included Michael Caines At Abode, DEVONSHIRE ARMS (BOLTON ABBEY) LIMITED, and Michael Caines Restaurants.
