Venetian chef and head of the kitchen at Incalmo in Este, Leonardo Zanon brings together a career forged between Italy, London, Helsinki and Northern Europe. His culinary vision blends technical precision, international experience and meticulous attention to detail — qualities that earned him the title of Best Pastry Chef in Italy 2019 from Gambero Rosso.
Leonardo Zanon was born and raised in the Veneto region, an area where cuisine is deeply linked to the rhythm of the seasons and mountain traditions. His professional training began at the Hotel Management School “D. Dolomieu” in Longarone, where he graduated with top marks in 2003, building from the outset a rigorous technical foundation and a strong work ethic.
His first experiences in the kitchen took place in local inns and restaurants in the province of Belluno, followed by a key step at the Michelin-starred Locanda San Lorenzo, where Zanon entered the world of fine dining. There he learned the essentials of brigade organization, flavour clarity and respect for ingredients.
From 2004 to 2009 he worked at the Albergo Ristorante Dolada (1 Michelin star), progressing from apprentice to station chef and gaining full experience across all kitchen sections. This period served as his first true school of discipline and consistency.
His international career began in London in 2009, first at the Dolada Restaurant in Mayfair as sous chef, and later at the prestigious Apsley’s – A Heinz Beck Restaurant (1 Michelin star), where he led both the appetizer and pastry sections. It is here that he refined the precision and technical finesse that would become hallmarks of his style.
Between 2012 and 2014, Zanon moved to Helsinki, working first at Chez Dominique (2 Michelin stars) and then at Olo (1 Michelin star), with key responsibilities in the appetizer, fish and meat stations. The Nordic influence — purity of flavours, aesthetic minimalism, fermentation — became an integral part of his culinary language.
In 2014 he briefly joined the Mexican restaurant ¡Panza! in Finland, before returning to Italy to become pastry chef at the renowned Agli Amici 1887 in Udine. Over five years, he oversaw the production of breads, desserts and signature welcome snacks, culminating in the major accolade of Best Pastry Chef in Italy 2019 awarded by Gambero Rosso.
Since 2019, Zanon has played a central role at Incalmo in Este, where he leads the kitchen alongside chef Francesco Massenz. Despite the challenging years of the pandemic, he helped shape the restaurant’s identity — rooted in the Veneto region, enriched by Nordic influences, and guided by a contemporary aesthetic and technical clarity.
In 2023 he earned the AIS sommelier diploma, further deepening his understanding of the dialogue between food and wine. His cuisine today reflects a journey built on study, professional migration and respect: a contemporary lexicon that merges Veneto traditions with Nordic sensibilities, pastry technique with savoury cooking, memory with research.
