Carmine Di Donna is an Italian pastry chef whose style blends Naples’ deep-rooted tradition with a contemporary, gastronomic approach. Today he leads the pastry section of Rossellinis at Palazzo Avino in Ravello (1 Michelin star), shaping desserts defined by precision, acidity, and essential flavors.
Born in 1979 in Torre del Greco, Carmine Di Donna discovered pastry-making as a child in his family’s shop, fascinated by the colors, aromas, and rituals of Neapolitan tradition. Under the guidance of his father, he took his first steps in the craft, cultivating a passion that he would develop through study, curiosity, and continuous professional growth.
His training became quickly international. After completing his studies, he embarked on a career that took him to prestigious settings across Italy and abroad: from Manchester to cruise ships, from Moscow to the United States, and through high-level hotel restaurants. Key formative experiences include his work at the Hotel Mezzatorre in Ischia and later at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento.
Throughout his journey, Di Donna has consistently invested in refinement and professional development, convinced that dialogue with great masters is essential for evolving one’s craft. Encounters with leading figures in the international pastry scene deeply influenced his contemporary vision.
From 2015 to 2020, he served as Head Pastry Chef at the Michelin-starred Torre del Saracino by Gennaro Esposito in Vico Equense. In March 2017, he was inducted into AMPI – the prestigious Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiani – a milestone that confirmed his technical excellence and creative sensibility.
Curious and rigorous, Di Donna approaches pastry with a gastronomic mindset increasingly close to savory cuisine. His desserts are built on texture harmony, controlled sweetness, and calibrated acidity, always anchored to his roots: “everything starts from tradition. Without tradition there can be no evolution.”
Today he is the Pastry Chef of Rossellinis, the fine dining restaurant of Palazzo Avino in Ravello, a one-Michelin-star establishment where his creations reflect both memory and modernity.
