Chef
Nicolas La Rocca
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Düsseldorf, Germany
i. Biography
Nicolas La Rocca is chef at Zwanzig23 by Lukas Jakobi in Düsseldorf.
Coming Up
The line through Nicolas La Rocca’s kitchens is a study in progression: training, repetition, service discipline, then increasingly demanding rooms across Germany and Switzerland. He began in 2016 as Auszubildender zum Koch at Hamburg, where the work would have meant learning the basics under pressure and repeating them until they held. That kind of start matters; it sets the standard for everything that follows. From there, the work moved through different houses and different tempos. He took on Koch at Locanda Barbarossa in Ascona, Schweiz, then koch at Bodendorf’s in Sylt, before joining koch at Cà d’Oro, Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski in St. Moritz (2019–2021). Each placement sits in a kitchen culture that asks for control, pace, and consistency, and his route shows a chef advancing by meeting those demands one by one. In 2022, Nicolas moved to Koch at Bareiss in Baiersbronn (from 2022), then stepped up to Souschef at Pur in Berchtesgaden (2023–2024). The shift from station work to souschef brings more than technique; it requires keeping the service in order, holding standards across the pass, and working with the wider rhythm of the brigade. In 2024, he became Head Chef at Edl.eins in Deggendorf, before taking up his current role as chef at Zwanzig23 by Lukas Jakobi in Düsseldorf.
Where They Are Now
Today, Nicolas La Rocca is chef at Zwanzig23 by Lukas Jakobi in Düsseldorf. At Zwanzig23 by Lukas Jakobi, the title of chef places him at the point where earlier kitchen discipline becomes daily responsibility. The work sits on the accumulation of the roles before it: auszubildender zum koch at Hamburg in 2016, then koch at Locanda Barbarossa in Ascona, Schweiz, Bodendorf’s in Sylt, Cà d’Oro, Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski in St. Moritz (2019–2021), and Bareiss in Baiersbronn (from 2022), followed by souschef at Pur in Berchtesgaden (2023–2024) That sequence reads as a kitchen career built through earned steps rather than shortcuts. Each move added responsibility without breaking the thread: service training, station work, brigade leadership, and then the authority that comes with running the pass as chef. In Düsseldorf, that background is the practical foundation behind the role.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Nicolas
Where did Nicolas La Rocca work before?
Nicolas La Rocca's earlier career included Hamburg, Locanda Barbarossa, and Bodendorf’s.
What recognition has Nicolas La Rocca received?
Michelinstern für das Restaurant Edl.eins (2025).
