Davide De Pra runs Harry's Piccolo in Trieste with Matteo Metullio: two Michelin stars since 2021 and Michelin Passion Dessert 2024, emblematic of a cuisine that combines the Alps and the Adriatic with technical rigor and creative drive.
Born in Falcade (Belluno Dolomites) in 1985, De Pra grew up in his family's restaurant and attended the local hotel management school before devoting himself to competitive skiing; however, his passion for cooking soon brought him back to the kitchen. He honed his skills in high-altitude mountain farms—Malga Panna, Tyrol, Le Due Spade—before arriving at the La Siriola restaurant (Ciasa Salares), where he met Matteo Metullio, starting a professional partnership that was destined to last.
His precocious talent was recognized in 2014 with the double award “Best Emerging Chef Nord & Italia” in Rome, awarded jointly with Metullio.
In 2019, the two chefs returned to Trieste – Metullio's hometown – to relaunch the restaurant at the Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta: Harry's Piccolo was born, alongside Harry's Bistrò, Pasticceria, and Bar. The first star arrived in the 2020 edition of the Michelin Guide (released in November 2019), the second in the 2021 guide (November 2020), a first for the Julian capital.
De Pra's philosophy combines Adriatic ingredients (scampi, mullet, seaweed) and Alpine products (mountain meadow meats, high-altitude herbs), infused with oriental touches gained from international experience: created by four hands, signature dishes such as Orto Adriatico, Capriolo, beetroot and umeboshi, or the award-winning dessert Cioccolato, abete e kefir (chocolate, fir and kefir) – which earned Harry's Piccolo the Michelin Passion Dessert award in 2024 – tell a story of continuous dialogue between territories and techniques.
In 2022, Identità Golose awarded him, along with Metullio, Chef of the Year for the Italian Restaurant Guide, praising the “virtuous diarchy” that governs four restaurants and a team of over thirty professionals.
Today, he is Corporate Executive Chef of the Harry's group: he oversees product research, internal training, and sustainability projects (plastic-free menus and a short supply chain for fish from the Gulf of Trieste). Outside the kitchen, he participates in conferences such as Identità Golose and The Best Chef FoodMission, where he promotes the value of the Dolomite highlands in contemporary cuisine.
