Alila Kothaifaru Maldives will welcome Chef Joshua Acquaviva, Head Chef of Pellico 3 at Park Hyatt Milan, for a ten-day residency at Pibati Sul Mare, the resort’s beachside Italian restaurant, from 25 October to 3 November 2026. Working alongside Executive Chef Frank Wackerhagen and the island’s culinary team, Chef Joshua will showcase dishes inspired by his Italian heritage, with a focus on pasta and pizza, reflecting his Neapolitan roots.
Born in Naples in 1995, Chef Joshua has built his career across several acclaimed Italian kitchens, including VistaMare at Hotel Il Fogliano, Kresios and Il Faro di Capo d’Orso. In 2022, he joined Pellico 3 at Park Hyatt Milan, progressing from Chef de Partie to Head Chef within two years. His cuisine combines technical precision with a strong connection to Italian ingredients and his Neapolitan roots.
At Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, Chef Joshua’s Italian cooking will come together with the island’s natural setting, combining traditional techniques with carefully selected local produce and herbs cultivated on Kothaifaru.
Italian Cooking, Shaped by Its Island Setting
Set beside the beach, Pibati Sul Mare takes its name from the Sanskrit word “Pibati”, meaning “to drink, absorb or imbibe”. The restaurant carries that invitation into a dining experience intended to be enjoyed at an unhurried pace.
Its menu centres on artisanal pizzas and handcrafted pastas, bringing together Italian classics and island-inspired flavours. Carefully selected ingredients and homegrown herbs lend freshness and character to the cooking, while the setting balances contemporary elegance with the ease of the coast. With the Indian Ocean beyond the table, Pibati Sul Mare offers a refined yet relaxed expression of Italian dining in the Maldives.
Throughout the residency, guests will also be invited to join intimate pizza-making sessions at Pibati’s counter. Limited to eight participants, each session will offer time to work with the dough, learn directly from the chefs and understand the details behind a well-made pizza. Where demand requires, staggered sessions will be arranged to preserve the personal nature of the experience.
“Welcoming Joshua to Kothaifaru is not about moving one restaurant into another,” said Thomas Weber, General Manager of Alila Kothaifaru Maldives. “It is about creating space for two kitchens to meet, with respect for what each place brings. Our guests will experience the craft of an Italian chef in a setting that belongs unmistakably to this island, with rare access to the people and thinking behind each dish. That intimacy, rather than formality, is central to our idea of luxury at Alila.”
The residency reflects Alila’s approach to experiences that are personal, rooted in place and shaped by genuine exchange. For the chefs, it creates an opportunity to share techniques, ideas and perspectives across two distinct kitchens. For guests, that exchange becomes tangible at the table — in the handling of the dough, the making of pasta, the use of an island-grown herb and the story behind a finished plate.
“Joshua and I share a respect for cooking that is clear, disciplined and rooted in strong foundations,” said Frank Wackerhagen, Executive Chef of Alila Kothaifaru Maldives. “At Pibati Sul Mare, we are fortunate to have a talented team of chefs who bring tremendous skill, care and character to the kitchen every day. This residency gives them the opportunity to work closely with Joshua, exchange ideas and build on their craft together. We will begin with the essentials — well-rested dough, pasta made by hand, sauces developed with patience and ingredients treated with respect — then allow Kothaifaru to come through naturally in the herbs, the produce and the way each dish is enjoyed beside the sea.”
For Chef Joshua, the residency is also an opportunity to return to the flavours that have accompanied him from the beginning of his career. Pizza and pasta remain central to his culinary identity, not simply as familiar Italian staples, but as expressions of technique, memory and generosity.
“Naples has shaped the way I understand food from the very beginning,” said Joshua Acquaviva, Head Chef of Pellico 3 at Park Hyatt Milan. “Pasta and pizza are part of that identity, and they remain at the heart of how I cook today. What excites me about coming to Kothaifaru is the opportunity to share those traditions in a completely different setting, while working alongside Frank and the Pibati team. Good cooking is also about exchange — learning from one another, respecting the ingredients in front of you and creating something guests can connect with.”
From the refinement of Pellico 3 to the natural rhythm of island life, the residency brings together two distinct expressions of hospitality through a common culinary language. It is a meeting of people and place, expressed through food that carries its heritage confidently while remaining open to its surroundings.
Chef Joshua Acquaviva’s residency at Pibati Sul Mare will take place from 25 October to 3 November 2026. The guest menu and pizza-making sessions will be subject to availability, with advance reservations recommended.