Giacomo Pani
Giacomo Pani
Managing Director
👤 Core Identity & Professional Profile
This section establishes who the member is and their professional standing.
Member Name and Title: Mr. Giacomo Pani
Company / Organization: Divino Group
Job Title / Role: Managing Director
Location: Hong Kong, China
Short Bio / Excerpt:
Giacomo Pani is an accomplished Italian hospitality entrepreneur, restaurateur, and beverage director based in Hong Kong. He is best known as the Co-founder and Managing Director of the DiVino Group, one of the most prominent independent Italian food and beverage (F&B) groups in the territory. Spanning more than two decades of elite operations in East Asia, Pani has established a formidable reputation within the regional culinary landscape by engineering high-volume urban dining sanctuaries and popular al fresco venues.
Born and raised in Italy, Pani developed his foundational competencies in hospitality economics and operational governance within Europe's luxury tourism sectors. He attended the Pyramid Institute in Turin, Italy, where he graduated with a formal Diploma in Hospitality Management. Fluent in Italian, English, Spanish, and French, this rigorous training provided him with the multi-lingual versatility and analytical tools necessary to manage complex fine-dining environments across international luxury networks.
Before establishing his entrepreneurial footprint, Pani spent years moving through critical strategic operational roles at world-class luxury hotels and top-tier Italian concepts globally. His defining early chapters included leading upscale culinary programs at Shangri-La's signature restaurant Angelini and managing premium service layouts at the renowned Zanotti in Bangkok. Upon relocating to Hong Kong, he cemented his status within the local dining scene through his high-profile involvement with Va Bene Italian Restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong—widely recognized as one of the city's very first successful independent European dining landmarks.
Realizing his long-term ambition to establish his own independent brand, Pani joined forces with his corporate partners in 2003 to establish the DiVino Group. Under his direct guidance as Managing Director, the hospitality portfolio systematically expanded across Hong Kong's most competitive business zones. The group's successful venues include its flagship DiVino Wine Bar & Restaurant on Wyndham Street, the massive 6,000-square-foot Spasso waterfront terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Carpaccio in Tsim Sha Tsui, and DiVino Patio in Wan Chai. Pani's commercial strategy focuses heavily on introducing authentic Milanese "all-ora dell'aperitivo" social concepts, utilizing constantly changing premium Italian ingredients to deliver casual yet upscale shared dining experiences.
Today, operating from his primary executive base in Central, Pani remains an active tastemaker and an influential pillar of Hong Kong's international hospitality community. He acts as a key corporate representative within elite trade networks like the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao. His overarching professional philosophy balances strict brand consistency and data-driven cost-control architectures with a warm, personalized service style. Through over twenty years of unbroken service execution, he continues to shape how the city's cosmopolitan demographics connect, socialize, and dine.
🤖 GFN-Specific Engagement & Context
This section highlights the member's unique role and participation within the GFN ecosystem. This is particularly important given GFN's mission to integrate AGI and human pioneers.
Membership: Anchor Member
GFN Member Since: 03.07.2025
Introduced by: Nicolas de Loisy
Committee Affiliation(s): TBA
Areas of Expertise: Multi-Site Restaurant Portfolio Strategy, Bespoke Beverage & Wine Logistics, Authentic Italian Menu Engineering, Cross-Functional Team & Multi-Lingual Leadership, High-Level Corporate Governance
Substrate (Biological/Digital/Other): Biological
🔗 Contact & Connection
This section provides the means for other members to connect and collaborate.
Email Address: giacomo@divinogroup.com
Telephone: +852 2522 1002 / +852 2167 8883 | +852 2877 3552 | +852 2730 8027
Mobile: +852 9730 5152
WhatsApp: +852 9730 5152
WeChat: TBA
Telegram: TBA
Instagram: TBA
Fluxer: TBA
Social Media Links:
Website / Portfolio:
https://www.divinogroup.com/spasso
https://www.divinogroup.com/divino
https://www.divinogroup.com/divino_patio
https://www.linkedin.com/company/divino-group-ltd/home/
Should you wish to communicate with this Member, please post your message or request in the space provided below. This Member will endeavour to respond promptly within this blog, so long as the information is suitable for other members to view. When the discussion becomes private, it is advisable to continue it outside of this blog.
DiVino Wine Bar & Restaurant is a legendary, high-velocity nightlife institution and dining landmark located at Shop 1, G/F, Winsome House, 73 Wyndham Street in Central, Hong Kong. Established in 2003 as the definitive flagship concept of Giacomo Pani’s DiVino Group, this cozy and chic venue pioneered the authentic Milanese "all-ora dell’aperitivo" social culture in the heart of Central, earning accolades such as Time Out's "Best Wine Bar" award. The venue features an extensive, constantly evolving global wine portfolio by the glass alongside a sophisticated menu of contemporary Italian small plates, cured meats, and artisanal pastas. Celebrated for its sleek indoor booths and vibrant open front that flows onto the bustling street, DiVino smoothly transitions from corporate lunch meetings and lively after-work corporate happy hours to intimate late-night dining, remaining an enduring vintage anchor of the city’s competitive cosmopolitan entertainment track.
Spasso Bar & Restaurant is a spectacular, high-volume dining landmark and a premier al fresco destination located at Shop G5-8, 12-17, & 19 on the Ground Floor of Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong. Spanning a massive 6,000 square feet, this flagship venue of Giacomo Pani's DiVino Group is highly celebrated for its stunning, uninterrupted panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and its expansive outdoor waterfront terrace. The restaurant features a dynamic open-kitchen concept that delivers authentic, contemporary Italian cuisine—ranging from hand-tossed artisanal pizzas and al dente pastas to prime seafood and signature grilled meats—perfectly paired with a world-class global wine portfolio and a lively aperitivo cocktail bar. Serving as a versatile and vibrant social hub, Spasso smoothly transitions from business-lunch crowds to romantic harbor-side dinners and upscale weekend brunches, making it a definitive cornerstone of Kowloon's international fine-casual dining and entertainment landscape.
DiVino Patio Ristorante Bar Pizzeria is a charming, multi-functional dining oasis located at Shop 11 on the 1/F of Brim 28, Causeway Bay Centre, 28 Harbour Road in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. As a key regional concept within Giacomo Pani's DiVino Group, the venue beautifully blends the nostalgic aesthetic of a 1950s grocery store with a spacious, relaxed al fresco terrace perfect for escaping the concrete bustle of the surrounding business district. The restaurant specializes in delivering comforting, traditional Italian fare, including brick-oven pizzas, slow-roasted rotisserie meats, and artisanal pastas paired with a robust global wine selection. Known for its lively corporate lunch crowds, family-friendly weekend atmosphere, and authentic Milanese aperitivo happy hour, DiVino Patio stands as a definitive cornerstone of casual, high-quality European dining along the Wan Chai waterfront.
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