Chef Paolo Vitaletti

He was born into the heart of Italian culinary tradition. After school, he would help his father in the family shop before returning home to enjoy his mother’s soulful home cooking—an early immersion in food that naturally evolved into a lifelong career. At the age of 19, Paolo left Italy to pursue his culinary ambitions on the world stage.

His journey led him through prestigious kitchens across the globe, including the Four Seasons Hotel at Canary Wharf in London, Aman properties in Jordan and Maui, and later as Executive Sous Chef at Shangri-La Bangkok. He was also appointed Executive Chef at the Aman Summer Palace in Beijing, China. In April 2013, Paolo returned to his roots by opening Appia in Bangkok, a Roman trattoria celebrating simple, honest Italian food. The restaurant quickly earned rave reviews for its authenticity and heart.

A year later, he launched Peppina, a Neapolitan pizzeria born from his travels to Naples where he trained with master pizzaiuoli to perfect traditional Neapolitan dough. Since opening, Peppina has become a go-to for Bangkok’s discerning diners and is the only pizzeria in Thailand and Southeast Asia accredited by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (A.V.P.N.). It has received multiple accolades, including “Best Pizzeria in Thailand & South East Asia” by the 50 Top Pizza Awards, ranking 5th in Asia Pacific and 43rd globally.