Meet Our Chef

Executive Chef Fabian Di Paolo

With more than 17 years of internationally honed culinary experience, Executive Chef Fabian Di Paolo brings a unique perspective to Shearwater Tavern, a hidden gem tucked inside the stylish Carmel Mission Inn located in Carmel, CA, that has become a favorite restaurant for visiting guests and area locals since 2021.

Born with Italian Abruzzo blood, raised in Buenos Aires and trained at the Institute of Professional Gastronomy Mausi Sebess and Le Cordon Bleu in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and New York’s Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Fabian infuses inspiration from his world travels into Shearwater Tavern’s menus. Prior to his move to Carmel, Chef Fabian helmed several East Coast Kitchens, most recently serving as executive chef for Esme Miami Beach, where he lent his unique talent for new-style Latin American flavors to the boutique hotel’s buzzing food and beverage operation, overseeing culinary programming for three outlets. Prior to Esme, he led the kitchen at CVLTVRA, another Miami culinary hotspot known for top quality international cuisine, and under his leadership, was named one of the city’s “50 Best Restaurants”. Additionally, he has held executive chef roles at Bice Bistro, Cardozo Hotel and Carlyle Cafe by Bice at Miami Beach’s Victor Hotel and The Tides South Beach and Viceroy Icon Brickell. And, as an award-winning executive pastry chef, his sweetest creations offer guests an impeccable reason to save room for dessert.

When he’s not working, he enjoys spending afternoons taking in the beautiful California weather on his Ducati  motorcycles exploring the beautiful coast. Often Chef Fabian likes to take long solo rides stretching  from Carmel down to the Mojave desert or camping and enjoy to relax and connect with the nature. With the beautiful scenery in his sight and music in his ears, these rides and inmertions, serve as a space for inspiration, and a place where many of his recipes are born.