Celebrity Host
Aldo Zilli
Aldo Zilli is chef patron of Signor Zilli and Zilli Fish and is one of Soho's most flamboyant restaurateurs.
After catering college in Italy he was sent abroad for the winter season to hotels all over Europe. He finally came to England at the age of 19 and decided to concentrate on his passion for Italian food, and started working in Italian restaurants, introducing new cooking methods and eclectic menus, transforming them from little-known venues to celebrity haunts. However, he soon outgrew the kitchen, becoming executive manager and training other chefs in his own impressive style.
Eventually, certain of his own success, Aldo decided to go it alone and acquired his first restaurant in Il Siciliano in Dean Street. Word quickly spread about the quality of food and the atmosphere created by Aldo and soon the restaurant was packed.
In 1988, he bought the premises at 41 Dean Street and opened Signor Zilli, following this in 1993 next door with London’s first authentic Italian bar, Signor Zilli Bar. Aldo opened Zilli Fish in June 1997 and it has been bursting at the seams since its opening. Great Italian food and Aldo’s legendary sense of humour makes these three establishments a magnet for people from the media and entertainment world. In 1996 he was awarded Best Italian Restaurant Award in The London Restaurant Awards and in 1998 he collected the award for Best Media Restaurant for Zilli Fish. He has also won Favourite Showbiz Restaurant for Signor Zilli in the Capital Radio Awards.
He has filmed three of his own television series, all for broadcast on Carlton Food Network: Perfect Pasta with Aldo Zilli and is currently hosting Dinner Dates on ITV1.
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