La Piola Leeds: Meet the chef behind the Italian cafe turned restaurant with a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor

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The chef behind one of Leeds’ five-star rated restaurants has opened up about what her first five months have been like.

La Piola, in Park Square, opened in late 2022 designed to be a coffee shop with an “Italian vibe”.

As its popularity grew, owner Fabio Rua decided to transform the underground spot into a restaurant. For this, he said he needed an experienced chef.

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Tony Johnson

“I started the concept with Italian home cooking,” Fabio explained.

“I put together a menu that was reflective of our Italian traditions. But obviously, with myself not being a chef, I needed someone with more experience.”

From hundreds of applications, it was chef Magdalena Gospodarek’s that stood out to Fabio.

Tony Johnson

The 27-year-old had extensive experience as a chef in a number of popular Leeds restaurants including Banyan - and Fabio knew that she could bring something new to La Piola.

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Fabio said: “I was a general manager at Piccolino for five years, at a different branch. When I saw she also worked at Piccolino, I said ‘this is too good to be true’.

“I asked her, ‘are you sure? You are overqualified for this’.

“I thought that she would be perfect. And as soon as she came into the shop, she brought positivity and energy. She ticked every single box. The interview lasted like three minutes.”

Magdalena said she has always loved cooking for others, but the environment of a kitchen - the adrenaline and stress - has always been her favourite part.

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And La Piola, when Magdalena joined five months ago, was very much a “blank canvas”, allowing her to put her own mark on the small Italian restaurant.

Tony Johnson

Fabio said: “She has an unbelievable touch. Her organisational skills are beyond real.

“In the most chaotic environment, she can manage to get everything together. She has changed everything around in the kitchen.” And while the career is not for everyone and the long hours are definitely difficult, Magdalena said there’s no other place she’d rather be.

She explained: “It’s why I chose this place. I know I can be anywhere else and still grow but I am here to help Fabio, who is a best friend now.

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“And then if I spend 60 to 80 hours a week, it doesn’t matter because I am in a good place. He cares about me and I can cook anything I want here.

“It’s better than working at a big restaurant, working with people you might never see again. It’s something different, it’s really nice here.”

A new menu is due to launch soon, with more of Magdalena’s “special touch”. In the meantime, both Fabio and Magdalena hope La Piola continues to cement itself as one of the best-rated Italian restaurants in the city.

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