Mauro Maccioni
Mauro Maccioni recalls being seven years old and having his father dress him in a bowtie in order to be properly attired to serve champagne to diners at Le Cirque. Says Maccioni, “My brothers and I virtually grew up in our father’s restaurant. As a young child I was encouraged to believe I might have the same knack as my father, and I’ve never seriously considered doing anything else.”
For Mauro, the journey began after he earned a BA from Columbia University. In addition to honing his craft during those early days at Le Cirque, he earned his stripes working for four summers for Gerard Boyer’s Michelin three-star Le Crayères in Reims, France. He also spent a year working at the Michelin-two star restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, staged at the Hotel Ritz in Paris and spent a summer under the tutelage of Juan Marie Arzac at his renowned Michelin-three star Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain.
Fast-forward to January 1996 on one of the snowiest evenings in New York City history when that formerly bow-tied Maccioni and his two brothers opened Circo in New York. The city was socked with a freak snowstorm which dumped close to 30 inches of snow with apparent disregard to the Maccioni brothers’ grand opening plans, but open they did, to a full house and wide acclaim.
Today, in addition to operating Circo and Le Cirque in New York City, Mauro and his brothers operate restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada (Le Cirque at The Bellagio Las Vegas, Circo at The Bellagio Las Vegas, Sirio Ristorante at the Aria Resort and Casino Las Vegas), the Dominican Republic (Le Cana Restaurant & Lounge by Il Circo and Beach Club by Le Cirque both at the exclusive Casa de Campo Resort) and in New Delhi, India (Le Cirque at The Leela Palace Kempinski). The family has also partnered with Holland American cruises to offer “An Evening at Le Cirque” in the Pinnacle Grill aboard its fleet of 15 world class ships.
This fall, Mauro along with his family will open Sirio Ristorante New York at The Pierre, a Taj Hotel.
While Mauco spends time at all of his family’s restaurants, he devotes the majority of his time to overseeing the family’s New York restaurants, including the daily operations and wine programs at for both Le Cirque, Circo and the soon to open Sirio Ristorante New York.
Mauro lives in New York City and is a devoted father to his daughter, Stella. When not at one of his family’s many restaurants around the globe he enjoys dining out, spending time in Italy and cooking the classic Tuscan dishes he was raised on for his daughter.
