GIANCARLO Anselmi is the Executive Chef of the award-winning Italian restaurant ‘talavera’, located at the Radisson Blu St Helen’s Hotel, Stillorgan Road, for the past 18 years.
As his name suggests, Giancarlo is Italian, born in Lake Como, Northern Italy. He boasts George Clooney as one of his neighbours!
At a young age Giancarlo found his appetite for cooking in his family’s hotel kitchen.
“Every day I was doing my homework in the kitchen, watching my grandmother making gnocchi, fresh pasta, passata, and such,” he recalls. “It was so nice. It was in this kitchen where I decided to pursue my dream to be a chef.”
Giancarlo went to Hotel School in San Pellegrino and as a young student supplemented his culinary education in his Italian grandmother’s kitchen. His career brought him to world renowned hotels such as The Palace Hotel in San Moritz, The Imperial Palace in Portofino and the Hyde Park Hotel, London. It was in London where Giancarlo discovered Ireland and where he met his wife Jane, an Irish fashion designer.
Giancarlo returned to Italy where he opened and ran his own seafood restaurant in the fashion capital, Milan, for six years. He then followed his heart, and his wife, back to Dublin where he opened the award-winning Italian restaurant ‘talavera’ at the Radisson Blu St Helen’s Hotel.
Giancarlo can see many similarities between the Irish and Italians – the largest similarity being the importance of family, particularly the ‘Mamma’ or ‘Mammy’ in both cultures.
The next similarity is the quality of Irish and Italian produce and food. Giancarlo brings only the best of both into his kitchen. Cooking to Giancarlo is about marrying the finest quality ingredients together to bring out the best flavour in each dish.
Over the last 18 years, Giancarlo has built up long lasting relationships within the local community. The chef claims that he is always at work and perhaps (outside of his extended holidays to Italy!) this is why he has been able to develop these relationships. Giancarlo can regularly be seen in the restaurant talking to his diners, as he loves to welcome back familiar faces and to meet new ones.
talavera is an award-winning Italian restaurant that can comfortably fit 120 guests. It is made up of five different rooms making it the ideal venue for private dining for smaller groups.
The Garden Room was recently opened allowing diners to dine alfresco during the warm weather – this area is fitted with outdoor heating and light. The restaurant serves the famous Radisson Blu Breakfast each morning and it is closed for lunch to the public – private bookings are taken. Dinner is served from 5.30pm – 10pm each night.
Radisson Blu St Helen’s Hotel, formerly one of Ireland’s most historic houses dating back to 1750, stands in magnificent formal gardens surrounded by established woodlands on the Stillorgan Road.
St Helen’s has been meticulously restored, combining historical grandeur with modern comforts, including a recent upgrade of all 151 bedrooms, offering five-star luxury accommodation. Dublin city centre is easily accessible only four kilometres away and the hotel is serviced by Air Coach, providing easy access to and from Dublin International Airport with the Port Tunnel halving travel times.