From growing up in the Italian countryside of Torino to a culinary life in Melbourne, Head Chef at Officinia Gastronomica Italiana Gabriele Coniglio moved to Australia in 2012 ready for a challenge after working at various Michelin-star restaurants abroad.
In Melbourne, he worked at some of the city’s institutions from Café e Cucina and Bar Carolina before taking on the Head Chef role at Officinia Gastronomica Italiana.
Here he brings his passion for regional dishes from the Piemonte region; where house-made pasta is an art form.
Gabriele spoke to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
Turin will always feel like home to me. I’m deeply connected to the valleys before the mountains, especially around the Frejus tunnel area – endless green landscapes, clear blue skies, and a sense of calm that’s hard to describe unless you’ve experienced it. It’s an incredibly liveable city, but what makes it truly special is how deeply rooted the food and wine culture is. Traditionally, there isn’t anything preserved for tourists.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
One of the dishes closest to me is macaroni with goat ragù, a recipe deeply connected to my Calabrian family roots in the Aspromonte region. It’s a very traditional dish, and I remember it so clearly because every time my grandfather cooked it, it felt like a celebration. Goat meat wasn’t always easy to find where we grew up in the north of Italy, so it made the occasion even more special. The pasta itself was handmade with long macaroni shaped around a dried reed-like stick called a canniccio, traditionally made from local plants that grow in the Aspromonte mountains. It’s a dish that carries memory, tradition, and family all at once.
FAVOURITE BAR
1806 in Melbourne. I love bars that respect classic hospitality while still feeling warm and approachable, and 1806 does that beautifully. The attention to detail is exceptional without ever feeling forced. I’ll usually order a Negroni or an Old Fashioned.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
A very simple pasta aglio e olio with a lot of parmesan and an espresso strong enough to reset your life choices.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
Hemingway’s Brewery, Cairns Wharf. Up in North Queensland, there’s a very different kind of energy – more relaxed and tropical.
FAVOURITE WINE
Barbera d’Asti. It’s a wine that’s very close to my personal history. My grandparents used to make it from a small hobby vineyard when I was a child.
A WINERY YOU RECOMMEND
Villadeati. It’s a place that feels deeply rooted in the Monferrato landscape, where everything is quiet, honest, and connected to the rhythm of the land. What I love about it is the simplicity and authenticity – no excess, just a strong sense of place and tradition. You feel the care in the vineyards and in the wines, which reflect exactly where they come from. It’s the kind of winemaking that doesn’t need to shout to be understood.
NEXT DESTINATION
Japan is my next destination. I’m fascinated by the discipline and precision in Japanese food culture. I think every chef can learn something from the way they approach craftsmanship and hospitality.
DINNER PARTY WITH THREE FAMOUS PEOPLE – GO!
- Anthony Bourdain – because of his way of telling the truth about food and life.
- Giorgio Locatelli – because he represents Italian cuisine outside of Italy in a way that is both respectful and modern – one of the strongest ambassadors of our tradition.
- Diego Maradona – for the energy and chaos, he brought to everything he did.
WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB
The best part of my job is the freedom it gives me creatively, but also in how I work every day. It allows me to break away from the monotony of a classic nine-to-five, corporate-style routine and live in a much more dynamic environment.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MOVE TO AUSTRALIA FROM EUROPE TO PURSUE YOUR CULINARY CAREER
Moving to Australia was more of a personal challenge than anything else. I wanted to put myself in a completely different environment and test myself outside of what I already knew. The hospitality scene here is very ambitious, and I was drawn to the opportunity to learn from different cultures and approaches to food. Compared to Italy, where kitchens can sometimes be more rigid and traditional in their structure, Australia felt more open and diverse.
HOW DO YOU HONOUR YOUR ITALIAN HERITAGE VIA THE DISHES AT OGI
At Officina Gastronomica Italiana, the goal is to respect traditional Italian cooking while adapting to the incredible Australian ingredients we have access to. We try to keep dishes honest and regional, without overcomplicating them. Technique matters, but flavour and identity matter more.
A DISH YOU LOVE ON THE MENU
Vitello tonnato is one of my favourites because it’s a dish deeply rooted in my background and in the tradition of northern Italy. It immediately brings me back to family celebrations and festive moments, especially around Christmas, when it was always part of the table.
WHAT’S THE SECRET TO GREAT PASTA
For me, the key is understanding texture and balance. You want bite in the pasta, that slight resistance when you chew, but also a natural viscosity that allows the sauce to cling properly and become one with it. It’s about how the pasta and sauce interact, not as separate elements but as one cohesive bite. When that balance is right, nothing feels heavy or forced – everything just flows together naturally.
