Gabriele Franco was born into food. Growing up in Sicily, cooking wasn't a career choice — it was a language, spoken at every family table, every village feast, every Sunday afternoon that stretched until sunset. His grandmother shaped pasta by feel. His father argued passionately about olive oil. His mother preserved lemons and aubergines with a precision that no recipe could fully capture.
After formal training in Palermo, Gabriele joined MSC Cruise Ships — a defining chapter that took him from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Cooking for thousands, managing kitchen brigades, adapting Italian cuisine for the world. It was exhausting, exhilarating, and transformative.
In 2017, he arrived in Sydney. The Inner West immediately felt like home — the tight community, the Italian heritage, the quality of produce. After years with Navarra Venues, he took the leap and opened La Botte D'Oro on Norton Street, Leichhardt. A restaurant that is, quite simply, a piece of Sicily in Sydney.
“I cook honest food. No tricks, no foam, no deconstruction. Pasta that has texture. Sauce that has soul. Ingredients chosen because they are right, not because they are fashionable.”
Awards & Mentions
Inner West Small Business Awards
2025 Finalist — celebrating the impact of La Botte D'Oro on the Leichhardt community.
Sydney Morning Herald
Featured in coverage of Sydney's best authentic Italian restaurants.
SBS Food
Featured in stories about the Sicilian food community in Sydney's Inner West.