Bryan Nelson

Executive Chef, Ciao Cielo

13 June 2025

Executive Chef Bryan Nelson has been working in kitchens for over two decades; dedicating the past 15 years of his career to Italian cuisine. In 2010 he co-founded Ciao Cielo, Port Melbourne’s neighbourhood restaurant on Bay St, serving authentic Italian fare from across the country’s many regions. Nelson’s menu showcases the distinct cuisine of each province, and his love for char-grilling, wood-fired cooking, seafood and pasta ‘fatto en casa’.

Born and raised in Melbourne’s western suburbs, Nelson’s culinary career began working part-ime in grade-ten, at a local restaurant in Melton. He thrived off the fast-paced and high-pressure environment which led him to pursue a pre-apprenticeship in cookery, a meaningful step for a young chef who came from a family that rarely ate in restaurants. Nelson then secured his first apprenticeship at the age of 17 in Southbank’s acclaimed The River Seafood Bar and Grill, which acted as the foundation for his affinity for seafood and Mediterranean flavours.

The years that followed saw him hone his craft at a number of reputable venues including Stokehouse Upstairs and Waters Wine Bar. Prior to Ciao Cielo, Nelson served as Head Chef for A La Grecque for three years, building the restaurant’s reputation as one of Aireys Inlet’s favourite hospitality venues.

After a pivotal year travelling across Europe in 2008, where Nelson spent four months in Italy and fell in love with the region’s cuisine and approach to life. Nelson’s time cooking fresh seafood over an open fire on the beaches of Albania remains one of his fondest food memories. “It was the kind of simplicity that stays with you, just local produce, cooked with care, right by the water.” His approach to cooking is grounded in the mantra “Cook every meal like it’s for someone you love” and he brings warmth, generosity, and precision to every service at Ciao Cielo.

He returned to Melbourne in 2010 to open Ciao Cielo with his business partner Kate Dickins. Initially a small 30-seater venue, the restaurant quickly garnered support and popularity from Port Melbourne residents and Melbourne locals alike. After eight years, the pair saw an opportunity to upscale their beloved venue to a bigger location, buying Port Melbourne’s historic 165-year-old courthouse, in which the restaurant resides today.

Seafood remains a constant thread at Ciao Cielo menu with standout dishes including saffron mafaldine with prawns, cherry tomatoes and stracciatella; char-grilled octopus with Kipfler potatoes, Sicilian olives and capers; and whole-roasted Silver Dory. Other favourites on the menu see confit duck arancini with orange aioli and oxtail gnocchi with salsa verde and pangrattato.

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Notes to Editors:

About Ciao Cielo
115 Bay St, Port Melbourne VIC 3207

Ciao Cielo originally opened in 2010 by owners and chefs Kate Dickins and Bryan Nelson, as a 30-seater restaurant, inspired by Dickins’ Italian heritage and her grandmother, who hailed from Vicenza. After eight years of operations, which saw the restaurant continuing to garner support and popularity from Port Melbourne residents and Melbourne locals alike, the pair saw an opportunity to upscale their beloved venue to a bigger location. In 2018, Dickins and Nelson bought Port Melbourne’s historic 165-year-old courthouse. They reimagined it into Ciao Cielo, continuing to serve their authentic Italian dishes and paying homage to Dickin’s grandmother, showcasing Bryan’s passion for modern Italian inspired by many trips to Italy. Recently, a long stint in the south of Italy has inspired a whole new era for Bryan as his passion for the summer flavour’s, seafood, along with the simplicity this region has to offer.

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