Matteo Zamboni on discipline, adaptability and flavour-first cooking at Civico 47

Matteo Zamboni is the executive chef at Civico 47 in Sydney. He combines Italian heritage with global influences under a flavour-first philosophy. His approach is disciplined yet warm, focusing on refined simplicity and genuine hospitality.

Raised in hospitality

Matteo grew up in Serle, a small town in Brescia, northern Italy. The town is known for spiedo bresciano, a mixed roast of meats slow-cooked for hours and served in large batches to share. From the start, he saw that food is communal. It’s meant to bring people together.

After a five-year hospitality school programme, Matteo trained in some of Italy’s top kitchens, including Heinz Beck’s three-Michelin-starred La Pergola in Rome and Carlo Cracco’s two-star restaurant in Milan. Those environments were relentless. Long hours, constant pressure, no shortcuts. If a dish wasn’t perfect, you did it again. He came away with discipline, precision and uncompromising standards. If an ingredient wasn’t up to scratch, it was rejected. That rigour still defines how he cooks today.

His first roles in the industry weren’t in the kitchen – he actually started out waiting tables at a local trattoria. Seeing hospitality from the guest’s perspective ingrained in him that service is as important as the food.

"Food alone is not enough."

Even the best cooking loses impact if the service doesn’t show care. That early lesson continues to shape how he works, keeping the kitchen and front of house in sync.

Lessons from abroad

Matteo’s career took him around the world. He spent several years cooking for the Qatari royal family. In the Middle East, he had to adapt Italian cuisine to different cultural expectations and strict etiquette. Running a multicultural palace kitchen taught him to be flexible and culturally sensitive, without dropping his standards.

He also worked under chef Seiji Yamamoto at RyuGin in Tokyo. Yamamoto’s kitchen was a masterclass in dedication. Every movement was precise. Every demonstration was observed in silent focus. Matteo saw techniques pushed to a microscopic level. In one eggplant preparation, chefs scored the skin with dozens of nearly invisible cuts so flavour could penetrate without ruining the texture. That attention to detail left a deep mark on him. Japan showed him that discipline and respect for ingredients can reach even greater heights.

These global experiences changed how Matteo views Italian cooking. Italy gave him structure and respect for simplicity. Travel taught him about balance, acidity, umami and restraint. He became comfortable using Japanese elements like dashi or miso to add depth to Italian dishes but only if they genuinely improved them. Seeing his cuisine through a global lens didn’t dilute it. It refined it and reinforced that flavour comes first.

"If something works, if it improves the dish and makes it taste better, I’m happy to use it. If it doesn’t, I won’t."

At home at Civico 47

Matteo eventually made his way to Sydney, initially planning to stay just one year. That year still hasn’t ended. He landed in some of the country’s top kitchens, including Quay and Pilu at Freshwater. Fine dining in Australia was more relaxed and open than in Europe. Diners cared more about flavour than rigid tradition, which gave him space to experiment. He embraced exceptional local produce. He also learned how familiar Italian ingredients behave in Australian seasons. This helped him shape his own voice, free from old rules.

In 2016, Matteo launched Zambo as a small pop-up and his first independent venture. Conceived as a deliberately focused project, it gave him exposure to hospitality beyond the kitchen, from shaping a concept and understanding guest experience to engaging with the commercial and brand realities behind the scenes. More than a one-off project, Zambo marked the beginning of his independent work alongside his role at Civico 47, and helped define a broader approach to his career that would later extend into consultancy, collaborations, and media-driven projects.

Now he helms Civico 47, an Italian restaurant he opened in Paddington on the former site of Lucio’s. He respected Lucio’s legacy but set Civico 47 on its own path. "Civico" means house number in Italian. It’s fitting, since the restaurant is inside a converted terrace house at number 47. The vibe is like walking into someone’s home. Guests enter through a corridor into a series of small dining rooms, not a big hall. The goal was for people to feel invited into a private home rather than a showy venue. That home-like touch is central to Civico’s identity.

The food at Civico 47 follows the same philosophy: uncomplicated but refined. One prime example is his signature dry-aged duck. It’s roasted on the bone and served with just mandarin-infused oil, witlof and a few mizuna leaves. No heavy sauce, no needless garnish. The dish relies on perfect execution and balance. Aromatic citrus from the mandarin oil cuts the duck’s richness, and bitter greens add contrast.

"Simplicity is incredibly difficult to achieve. When there are only a few elements on the plate, there’s nowhere to hide."

Each element has to earn its place. In this case every flavour harmonises beautifully.

Another standout is mafalde pasta with prawns, tomato, chilli and garlic. It’s a classic Italian flavour combo, but he adds bok choy for a subtle bitter crunch. Unorthodox, yet it works. Matteo isn’t interested in novelty for its own sake. He cares only about what makes the dish taste better. Flavour always comes first.

Leading with calm

Matteo grew up in an old-school kitchen culture that was tough and hierarchical. He values the discipline, focus and precision from that era, but not the aggression. In his kitchen now, standards are just as high but there’s no yelling. Service is intense but calm and orderly. Everyone is expected to be sharp and disciplined, but they work without fear.

He believes a confident, relaxed team outperforms a stressed one. He knows the industry has changed. Chefs today expect a respectful work environment. Providing that isn’t a weakness. It’s how you get the best out of people.

Matteo puts culture first. He builds pride and responsibility in his team.

"If the culture is right, people follow it naturally, and the standards take care of themselves."

He wants his staff to feel proud to work at Civico 47, because with pride comes care and commitment. He nurtures that by giving them ownership. He’ll let a junior chef run a section or have the team contribute to a new dish. He believes in giving people a stake in what they do. In his experience, chefs and waitstaff perform better and grow faster when they feel trusted instead of micromanaged.

The open kitchen at Civico 47 reinforces this culture. It’s right by the entrance, so chefs and diners see each other throughout the night. Guests often stop to thank the team as they leave. That gives the cooks direct appreciation for their work. This kind of human connection is motivating in a way a closed-off kitchen can’t match.

Matteo measures success by the community his restaurant creates, not just awards. Many locals have become regulars at Civico 47. He finds that more rewarding than any accolade. For the future, he’s focused on steady growth without losing what makes Civico special. The menu will keep evolving, but always with his less-is-more philosophy, clear flavours and genuine hospitality at its core. He’ll take on new ideas if they truly fit, but he won’t chase trends.