Executive Chef

Lucente is a new modern Italian restaurant opening inside the stunning brand-new Meta Hotel in Hudson Yards. The restaurant will blend refined Italian cooking with the energy and pace of New York City — elegant without being formal, ingredient-driven without being precious.

The menu will center around naturally leavened high-hydration pizza, handmade pasta, bold antipasti, and grilled specialties, and a deeply hospitality-focused dining experience. Lucente is being built to become one of Manhattan’s most exciting Italian openings.

We are seeking an Executive Chef with vision, discipline, creativity, and the ability to lead from the front. This is an opportunity to build something meaningful from day one — not inherit someone else’s system.

This is a full-time, on-site Executive Chef role located in New York City.

The Executive Chef will oversee all culinary operations for Lucente, including:

• Development and execution of a modern Italian menu
• Leadership of all kitchen operations and culinary standards
• Oversight of high-hydration pizza and handmade pasta programs
• Creative development of seasonal antipasti and composed dishes
• Oversight of in-room dining during restaurant operating hours
• Leadership of hotel catering, private dining, and special event culinary operations
• Hiring, training, mentoring, and inspiring the culinary team
• Maintaining exceptional standards for food quality, consistency, and presentation
• Managing food cost, labor cost, ordering, inventory, and vendor relationships
• Building systems and culture within a fast-paced luxury hotel environment
• Collaborating closely with ownership and hotel leadership to create a best-in-class guest experience

This role requires both creative talent and operational excellence. We are looking for a chef who understands refinement, intensity, hospitality, and execution at scale.

• A flagship opening in one of New York’s most high-profile new hotels
• The chance to shape a restaurant from the ground up
• Creative freedom within a focused modern Italian identity
• Significant visibility within the NYC dining scene
• State-of-the-art kitchen and pizza program
• Strong ownership support and serious long-term ambitions
• Competitive compensation package, bonus structure, and growth potential

• Proven experience as an Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine in a high-level restaurant or luxury hotel environment
• Deep understanding of Italian cuisine, dough fermentation, pasta production
• Expertise in menu development, recipe writing, and culinary innovation
• Strong operational discipline including food safety, inventory systems, labor management, and cost controls
• Experience overseeing catering, banquets, or event-driven culinary operations preferred
• Experience leading large kitchen teams in high-volume environments
• Ability to thrive under pressure while maintaining standards and professionalism
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Passion for hospitality, mentorship, and building team culture

This is not simply another hotel restaurant job.

It is a chance to build a defining New York restaurant inside one of the city’s most ambitious new hospitality projects.