Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Noemi Carifi: My inspirational colleagues became family when I moved to Aberdeen

Working as part of a small, caring restaurant team in Aberdeen to achieve success has been life-affirming.

Elena Ionascu owns Da Vinci restaurant in Aberdeen. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson
Elena Ionascu owns Da Vinci restaurant in Aberdeen. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Working as part of a small, caring restaurant team in Aberdeen to achieve success has been life-affirming, writes Da Vinci staff member, Noemi Carifi.

The story I would like to tell you is not about superheroes or legends. It’s one of everyday life, of hardships and difficulties, overcome thanks to great effort, a resolute leader, and a team of great people.

Hidden by the noise and the bustle of Aberdeen, in a little corner, is Da Vinci – a small Italian restaurant where I landed after one month of arriving in a new country, Scotland.

I’ll admit, I was scared. I could barely understand the Aberdonians, and was looking for a job. And here it was. I was relieved to have found a place where Italian people could tell me what “fit like?” meant in a language I could understand.

I wasn’t here for the launch of the restaurant, but I’ve been told about it many times. What’s important to this story is the growth I’ve been lucky to witness so far.

I’ve seen an empty restaurant, disagreements with customers or between staff members, and my boss being disregarded for being a woman. But, I’ve also seen a packed restaurant with happy diners, my boss standing her ground and knowing her worth as a business owner, a chef, and a leader.

I’ve adored watching chefs putting all their love for food into their dishes – more specifically, I’ve enjoyed tasting them. Particular flavours and the comforting smell of familiar food have brought me right back home to Italy.

Most of all, I’m proud to have been a part of a team whose efforts have been recognised.

Seeing a small business succeed is uplifting

In November 2022, we won an award that certifies the authenticity of our restaurant. What I remember most about that night is my boss, Elena’s, smile. If you’ve seen people struggle through difficulties of any nature, I believe it is a smile you’d recognise anywhere. In the Aberdeen food and drink scene, the competition is ferocious – but her little restaurant won the award for the most authentic Italian restaurant in Scotland.

I was glad to be there to witness that moment, just as I’m glad to still be part of this team. I’m glad that Elena took me in when I felt lost in a new city, I’m glad she built a family out of colleagues, and I’m glad she’s an inspiration and a great mentor to me.

Neomi Carifi (left) with her boss, Elena.

In today’s world, it is hard to survive as a small business – The Press and Journal hears about it all the time from business owners. Well, the owners are right; the difference is that you’re hearing an employee’s version of the story now.

I believe that Elena’s inspirational adventure in Aberdeen deserves to be shared, as a further acknowledgment of her team and her hard work.


Noemi Carifi works at Da Vinci restaurant in Aberdeen

Conversation