THEPEOPLE NICOLAS DALLI
Report Marisa CUTILLAS photography kh Photography and Courtesy of Nicolas Dalli
N
icolas Dalli, former racing driver, restaurateur and entrepreneur has the kind of life many of us probably dream of; it is a life characterised by freedom, where one is able to pursue what the heart commands; “to move with the passion”, as he says. Nicolas Dalli opened famed Puerto Banús restaurant, Dalli Pasta Factory in 1987, heading up the business for 18 years and driving his aerodynamic Ascari for eight years on top racing tracks all over the world. Far from considering driving as a mere hobby, Nicolas achieved an impressive record in the field, coming second in the European Championship of 1993. Driving is often seen as a glamorous pursuit yet, as Nicolas explains, it is highly demanding. He gives details of his gruelling daily workout, which consisted of aerobic exercise and weights for many hours; a routine whose difficulty should be appreciated when
Nicolas Dalli with tennis legend Manolo Santana
we take into account that Nicolas was also a loving husband (he married his childhood sweetheart), a father of two children and the head of a burgeoning business. Yet this level of commitment is crucial to Nicolas’s success; freedom is nothing when it is not tempered by wisdom and given impulse by an indispensable quality called discipline. Passion and serenity are undoubtedly the legacies handed down to Nicolas by his parents, famous Italian singer and restaurateur Toni Dalli and his wife, Valerie. Toni decided to settle here with his family after falling in love with the area while on a golfing holiday with famed English comedian, Jimmy Tarbuck, realising that “Marbella had everything he wanted: great weather, good golf and a safe family environment.” The Costa del Sol was also an ideal location for the divo’s talent to shine. Accustomed to singing alongside legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmy Durante, Connie Francis and Dean Martin, he was equally delighted to share his powerful voice with diners at his famous Golden Mile restaurant and the combination of entertainment, glamour and authentic Italian food made the Dalli dynasty the gastronomic stalwart it is in Marbella today. It could be said that Toni’s fire, creativity and talent were married beautifully to his wife’s gentleness, sense of family and temperance. “Mum was
quieter and liked to stay in the background,” says Nicolas, perhaps revealing the key to his success, as well as that of his brothers, Simon and Marco, who head up respective restaurants in Puerto Banús and Marbella. Yin and yang, earth and fire… these are the elements one should have in equal measure to remain focused, driven and, all the while, at peace internally. Some of the greatest loves we encounter have an expiry date, and for Nicolas, 18 years in the restaurant business left him searching for a new adrenalin rush. He found the latter quite by chance, after developing a number of houses in Marbella. “The first three I did as a hobby, to help friends,” he says, adding, “I had always been into design; bringing exterior and interior design together and creating things, making them happen. I remember that when my wife and I had our family home built, we would have liked somebody to help us make our dream happen. And this is exactly what I want to do for others: give substance to their dreams.” A meeting four years ago with his future partner made it all happen. Says Nicolas: “My partner is actually a former client. I did a turn-key project for him while working on the development, Villas del Marqués, in front of the Marbella Club Hotel and he must have enjoyed the experience because he asked me to work with him.” The result of the partnership was Damon Builders specialising in
Nicolas’s Ascari ex-Formula 1 Benetton in which he drove in the 2003 EuroBoss Championship
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