Diana Desensi appointed head chef at Delmonte in Carlton

At King and Godfree’s next opening, Diana Desensi steps into a role that pulls together some of Melbourne’s strongest Italian and produce-led kitchens.

Diana Desensi has been appointed head chef at Delmonte, the new Italian restaurant and wine room opening this winter inside the King and Godfree building in Carlton.

The appointment gives Jamie Valmorbida’s next venue a chef with experience across several very different kitchens, from Pt. Leo Estate and Montalto on the Mornington Peninsula to Saint George in St Kilda and most recently Daphne in Brunswick East. It also reconnects Diana with Karen Martini, who is culinary director across the King and Godfree precinct.

A chef shaped by varied kitchens

What makes this move interesting is not just the new venue, but the range of kitchens behind it.

Dianas’s career points to time at Pt. Leo Estate, Montalto, Saint George, Julie and Daphne, with that mix spanning produce-driven Peninsula cooking, more classical European structure and a broader neighbourhood style that still keeps technique front and centre. At Daphne, her food was noted for taking familiar formats and sharpening them with precision rather than overcomplication.

That matters at a venue like Delmonte. This is not being framed as a nostalgic red-sauce opening or a strict regional play. The positioning so far suggests a room that respects the deli history of the site, but gives the kitchen enough freedom to work with a more contemporary osteria approach.

The next stage of King and Godfree

Delmonte is the second of three venues planned as part of the King and Godfree revival.

Garfield reopened the precinct in February, and Delmonte now follows as the more substantial restaurant and wine room within the heritage-listed building. A third venue, a basement cocktail and music bar in the former cellar space, is still to come. The official King and Godfree site lists the address as 293–299 Lygon Street, Carlton.

For Valmorbida, the project also carries family significance. Reporting says the name Delmonte honours his grandfather Carlo Valmorbida, who took over the King and Godfree building in 1955 and helped establish it as one of Melbourne’s best-known Italian food addresses.

What the kitchen will look like

Delmonte is being built around a wood oven and grill, with a menu described as simple, seasonal and grounded in the spirit of an Italian osteria. Valmorbida has also flagged links back to the old deli identity of the building, with cheeses, salumi and preserved elements forming part of the offer rather than just decoration around it.

Diana will lead that kitchen as head chef alongside executive chef Mark Glenn, whose background includes Cumulus Inc and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Karen Martini sits above the project as culinary director, which gives the venue a senior layer of oversight but still leaves room for Diana to shape the day-to-day food.

For chefs, that is probably the real point of interest here. Delmonte looks set up as a serious neighbourhood restaurant rather than a concept-heavy opening, and Diana’s appointment suggests the kitchen will lean on judgement, produce handling and restraint rather than theatrics.

Wine, deli DNA and a bigger brief

Wine is a major part of the pitch. George McCullough of GUM Wine is curating the list, with a particular focus on Italian wines, especially Piedmont, plus bottles drawn from the King and Godfree cellar.

That combination of woodfire cooking, a strong wine spine and the legacy of one of Carlton’s most recognisable Italian addresses gives Delmonte more weight than a standard opening announcement. It also makes this a significant next step for Diana, whose progression through Melbourne kitchens has now led her into one of the city’s most watched hospitality redevelopment projects.

Delmonte is due to open this winter at King and Godfree in Carlton, with current reporting pointing to a launch toward the end of winter.

The only note I’d add is that if you want to keep the stronger personal backstory from your original draft, it should really come from a direct interview or attributed source. As it stands, this version is much safer and cleaner for publication.