Waterfront diners get service with a song
THE Gold Coast’s newest waterfront restaurant is very much on song.
From mid-dinner serenades to meals that are served with a side of tenor, De Vito Waterfront opened its doors this week to guests looking to dine to a different tune.
The Southport eating house is the product of David De Vito’s two greatest loves: singing and cooking. The Australia’s Got Talent star said it made sense to combine his two passions in one venue.
“I live for cooking and singing. One excites the palate and the other excites the soul,” he said.
“People can see me in the kitchen singing as I am cooking.
“Every hour upon the hour the lights go out, the spotlight goes on the grand piano and I do a couple of songs.”
The restaurateur became known as “the singing chef” during his 13-year stint at Italian restaurant Ciao in Labrador.
“I never meant for it to be a concept,” he said.
“I was going to cook in a kitchen and practise my guitar and piano between gigs. And it turned into a phenomenon. People needed to book months in advance.”
The local tenor, who recently returned from three years of travel, said the buzz was already surrounding De Vito Waterfront. “It is pretty much like Ciao, but this restaurant has an edge – and we have Italian and international cuisine,” he said.
“We sing and we carry on. It’s a fun place.”
De Vito said there are many similarities between the kitchen and the stage.
“I consider songwriting to be like cooking,” he said.