Edinburgh’s award-winning Italian restaurant and wine bar, Divino Enoteca, has a new head chef, in the shape of Palermo-born Salvatore Agate.
With 20 years of experience in authentic Italian cookery, Agate’s appointment is described as positioning Divino to ‘compete head-on with Edinburgh’s most talked-about kitchens’.
Agate graduated in Food & Beverage Management in his native Palermo, then honed his craft across Italy before moving to London in 2010.
A relocation to Edinburgh in 2023 saw him join Divino as sous chef, where 18 months later he now steps up to lead the kitchen with his ‘pragmatic mindset and an eye towards authentic Italian flavours’.
Agate’s cooking is said to reflect the traditional Southern Italian ethos of simplicity, making one ingredient the hero in each dish, with a handful of complementary elements to enhance the natural flavours.
His kitchen favours local suppliers and strict seasonality, reflected within the current Divino summer menu with dishes like an insalate caprese using fresh tomatoes or ‘tonno in agrodolce’ – pan-fried tuna steak served with sweet and sour onions, mint, pine nuts and raisins.
Agate said: “My goal is for guests to feel uncomplicated joy when they dine at Divino. That means uncluttered plates, ingredients that speak for themselves and a kitchen team that’s both motivated and creatively fulfilled.
“I can’t wait to introduce Edinburgh’s diners to the more niche Southern Italian dishes of my childhood and allow guests to discover new favourites.
“Guests can expect menus built around what Scotland’s markets give us each month – from North Sea fish to Borders beef – interpreted through an unapologetically Italian lens.”
Director of Vittoria Group, Alberto Crolla, said: “Salvatore understands that great cooking is about precision, restraint, and consistency.
“His appointment positions Divino to compete head-on with Edinburgh’s most talked-about kitchens and gives diners a fresh reason to rediscover us – whether they’re local regulars or Edinburgh visitors seeking standout Italian dining in a beautiful environment.”
Agate’s promotion follows Divino’s recent investment in new Enomatic Roma wine dispensers, which let diners sample rare bottles by the 25 ml pour.
Paired with a rotating programme of themed wine tastings and seasonal set menus, the third-generation family restaurant is aiming to provide the ‘ultimate Italian hospitality’ experience in Edinburgh.
