Alberto’s Lounge is seeking a hands‑on Head Chef in an intimate Italian trattoria in the heart of Sydney. This role suits an experienced chef who thrives in a small, fast‑paced environment, leads from the pass, and takes pride in classic Italian cooking, strong kitchen systems, and building a cohesive team culture.
About the Venue
Alberto’s Lounge is a neighbourhood trattoria with a Roman heart and a Sydney soul. Tucked behind a glowing neon sign, it’s intimate, familiar, and full of character. The menu roams across Italy, serving hand-cut pasta, crisp crostini, house-made gelato, and heart-warming mains made for sharing. Alberto’s captures the essence of Italy’s golden era of cinema and design, a celebration of Italian style and creativity from plate to paintwork.
About the Role
As Head Chef, you will lead the kitchen’s operations and team culture, ensuring excellence across food, people and performance. You will work closely with the Culinary Director and venue leadership to ensure the menu, operations and team culture reflect the standards of Swillhouse.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading service from the pass while actively cooking during service
- Running a tight, efficient kitchen in a small-format venue
- Managing food cost, ordering, supplier relationships and stock control
- Recruiting, developing and mentoring chefs across the brigade
- Maintaining a strong kitchen structure, organisation and communication
- Ensuring compliance with food safety, workplace health and company standards
- Working collaboratively with front-of-house leadership to deliver a cohesive guest experience
About You
This is a hands-on Head Chef role leading a small, tight-knit kitchen in a venue where presence matters. You’ll be in service every day, working side by side with the floor team during service.
You’ll take ownership of the kitchen while remaining deeply connected to the guest experience, helping shape a venue where food, service and atmosphere move together.
- Experience in a premium restaurant kitchen, ideally at Senior Sous or Head Chef level
- A love for classic Italian cooking done well — with strong attention to detail
- Demonstrated experience managing kitchen costs, rostering and stock control
- The ability to build structure and consistency in kitchen systems and service
- A calm, solutions-focused approach during high-pressure service periods
- Genuine commitment to mentoring chefs and building a strong team culture
Why Join Us
- Be part of a high-performing hospitality group where venues have distinct identities
- Ongoing learning through regular venue trainings, masterclasses and group-wide development sessions
- A strong commitment to physical and psychological safety, with clear pathways to speak up and be supported
- Access to 24/7 confidential wellbeing support through Sonder, including mental health, medical and safety services
- Generous staff discounts across Swillhouse venues for all team members
- Access to lifestyle and wellbeing partnerships, including fitness, recovery, and workwear discounts
Next Steps
If this sounds like the right fit, we’d love to hear from you! Apply now and be part of a group that takes hospitality and its people seriously.
