Alvaro Maccioni (3rd June 1937 - 22nd Nov 2013) was an Italian restauranteur who brought a taste of the Mediterranean to Swinging Sixties London, attracting film stars and royalty to his restaurant, which was the place to be seen.
Alvaro's Italian restaurant opened on the King's Road in 1966. The same year, Duffy photographed Alvaro for a segment titled 'The Sunday Times Year of Good Cooking.' Alvaro was the natural choice for the piece on regional cooking Italy.
Duffy and Alvaro's collaboration continued into 1969 for a feature in the Observer for an article on restauranteurs titled 'Pasta With Everything.'
Alvaro built a nightclub and restaurant empire in London, which he sold off to return home to Italy to 'take a break.' He soon returned to found another iconic restaurant - La Famiglia - which still runs to this day on 7 Langton St, Chelsea.
© 2025
