Dan Szwarc

Born and raised in Argentina, Dan Szwarc is passionate about bringing his South American heritage and French culinary training to Australia.

Training at the prestigious Bue Trainers in Buenos Aires, Dan impressed his colleagues and graduated at the top of his class. Not long after, he would go on to work professionally at the Hyatt, Claridges and Gate Gourmet, before moving to London to work under Soufflé maestro Peter Kromberg at the Intercontinental Hotel. With an extensive career in different restaurants, including a brief stint on cruise ships, Dan took his culinary expertise to Australia where he continued to delight with his cooking skills.

Dan has worked under multi award-winning chef Marcus Moore at Melbourne’s Sofitel, and went on to be the head chef at Crown Casino’s Number 8 Restaurant. This would be followed by a long streak of leading roles, including at Joseph Vargetto’s Oyster Little Bourke, The Albert Park Hotel, Livebait and head chef at Gary Mehigan’s Fenix Restaurant.

He opened Les Boucheries Parisiennes, a beloved French restaurant in Melbourne, with Phillipe Aubron, as well as the highly-popular Hellenic Republic and Hellenic Hotel in Brunswick and Williamstown respectively.

Taking inspiration from his Brunswick establishment, Dan established his Empanada Bar in North Melbourne to celebrate flavours from his home country in Argentina. Sporting a casual-but-fun vibe, Dan sources the best local produce in Australia to bring South American cuisine to life.

With an incredible career working for the world’s best chefs and restaurants, Dan is deeply passionate about sharing his love for food and the art of cooking.