Exciting opportunity for a Head Chef to lead a kitchen serving beautiful Southern European cuisine. Work with a passionate owner who truly values quality food, seasonal produce, and culinary excellence.
The Venue
A brand-new dining concept is set to launch just 15 minutes from the CBD, offering breathtaking ocean views. We’ve got this gorgeous dining room with original parquetry floors, amazing arched windows that open right out onto a terrace overlooking the harbour. The natural light is incredible. It’s the kind of place that’s perfect for long lunches, special dinners.
Food Style
It’s all about that relaxed Mediterranean coastal vibe—the kind of food that makes you feel like you’re dining somewhere along the Spanish or Italian coast. It’s fresh, seasonal, and honest. Think beautiful small plates that are perfect for sharing, incredible seafood (we’re right on the water, after all), and classic dishes that never go out of style, executed perfectly.
The menu transitions seamlessly from light, tapas-style bites to hearty mains, featuring signature rice dishes made for sharing. A thoughtfully curated wine program will complement the offering. With a strong focus on premium produce and sustainability, we’re looking for someone who can balance creative, high-quality cooking with sound financial acumen.
The Team
The owners here are the real deal. They’ve been in hospitality for years, they know what they’re doing, and they genuinely care about creating something special. It’s a family business, so there’s actual stability here, not some corporate group that will change direction every six months.
You’ll be working with a consultant chef initially to get everything dialled in, then it’s yours to run with. We’re looking for someone ready to take full ownership and make this venue their own while also understanding the importance of driving growth and long-term success.
The Role
We’re looking for someone who truly understands our vision. This head chef role goes beyond just being a great cook. We need a strategic partner in the kitchen. Ideally, you’ll bring:
- Solid leadership skills and the ability to collaborate with the wider team
- Experience with Mediterranean-style cooking (or at least the passion to learn it properly)
- Strong commercial awareness – you understand food costs, GP targets, and how to make a kitchen profitable
- Big picture thinking – you can see beyond just the next service to where this business is heading
- Hands-on approach but also a strategic mindset
- The ability to work with premium ingredients while keeping an eye on the bottom line
- Experience mentoring staff and building systems that work
- Flexibility to adapt as the business grows and evolves
Mediterranean experience would be great, but honestly, if you’ve got the business acumen, leadership skills, and passion for great food, we can work with that. The consultant chef will be around initially, but we’re looking for someone who can take this concept and help it reach its full potential.
What’s On Offer
The salary ranges from $100K to $125K plus super, depending on experience. We’re flexible for the right person and open to negotiation based on what you bring to the table.
This is a rare opportunity to be involved from day one, shaping the direction of the business and making your mark in a premium location with ocean views from the pass.
If you’re ready to play a key role, not just as a chef but as a driving force behind a successful hospitality venture, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for someone who is passionate about food and understands that exceptional restaurants are built on both creativity and strong commercial foundations.
We want to move quickly, so don’t sit on this one!
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