Our Heritage

Karl Regan, head chef and owner of Da Vinci's has cooking in his blood. Born of an Italian father and Irish mother his abiding memory of growing up was cooking.

"My mother was always cooking and, when very young, I would sit transfixed watching her. When a little older, whilst my friends were out playing as boys do, I would be in the kitchen learning the basic skills of cooking from my mother. It was all I ever wanted to do, cook."

For more than 31 years, Karl has been cooking professionally for the public, for celebrities and even members of the royal family!

"In 1979, I moved to England and started in Pizza Pan at Bedford Place in Southampton. Pizza Pan was probably the first true Italian restaurant in England at the time, certainly the first in Southampton. It gave me a tremendous opportunity to work in an authentic and very busy restaurant, sometimes doing 500 covers every night!"

With six months of being at Pizza Pan, Karl was promoted to head chef.

"The owner at Pizza Pan, Amando, said he saw something in me. More than just drive and dedication, he said. I think my upbringing and the range of culinary influences I enjoyed in those early years had something to do with it. Whilst my father immersed me in good Italian techniques, it was my mother who opened my eyes to the delights of other flavours and tastes, and desserts! I think this encouraged me to broaden my horizons and go to Cyprus to experience, first hand, Greek cooking. On my way back to England, I picked up the culinary skills of French and other European cultures."

Returning to England, Karl was the head chef at the acclaimed PapaGallos in Winchester. That was where Karl met his future wife and co-owner of Da Vinci, Nicola.

"It was always our dream," says Nicola, "running our own restaurant. Karl handles the kitchen and cooking. I handle the floor, the front of house. It's a relationship that works well because we're experts in our own field and, at the end of a day, we talk through what worked and where we can improve. We constantly striving to make every aspect of Da Vinci's utterly perfect."

"I was always taught to not just serve great food, beautifully presented, but to provide the complete dining experience," says Karl. "From when you first enter Da Vinci's, the experience should be all about you and your senses."

Da Vinci is fine dining that is warm, relaxed and welcoming. It's the small things that make the lasting impression; the linen on linen, the fresh flowers on tables.

"Within a year of opening, we were awarded a Taste the West award," Nicola reveals. "I think the all-round dining experience sets us apart from other restaurants. Because we create every dish from scratch we can remove ingredients or add in more. We can cater for allergies and tastes. We can create specific dishes for diners."

"Everything is produced on the premises," confirms Karl. "We don't buy anything pre-made. All our pasta is freshly cooked each morning. All the food is locally sourced. I was always taught to source locally during my training," reveals Karl. "Local food is fresher and because it's from local farmers, they have their reputation to uphold. As a result you can usually guarantee quality." Karl proudly displays his food sources in his menu. "It's good to support local business," he says, "especially here, in Salisbury. We're a community, in many ways."

When pressed on his speciality, Karl refrains from mentioning a specific dish. "I think my speciality is the complete cycle and care that goes into the meal preparation, from the boiling of bones to make the stock for veal jus, to the hand finishing of the cakes for dessert. To me, cooking is not about adding A to B to make C. It's about creating magical dishes by not scrimping on any phase of the process. But," he adds with a twinkle in his eye, "if you really want a specific answer, my veal has to be tasted to be believed."