David Galetti is a French-born sommelier and restaurateur from the Jura region of France. He is widely recognised as the husband and professional partner of celebrity chef Monica Galetti. Together they opened Mere restaurant in Fitzrovia, London in 2017, which ran for seven acclaimed years before closing in April 2024. David served as head sommelier at the legendary Michelin-starred Le Gavroche before co-founding Mere.
David Galetti — Quick Bio
| Full Name | David Galetti |
| Origin | Jura Region, France (borders Switzerland) |
| Profession | Sommelier, Restaurateur, Hospitality Professional |
| Notable Role | Head Sommelier, Le Gavroche, London |
| Restaurant | Mere, Fitzrovia, London (2017–2024) |
| Spouse | Monica Galetti (married 2004) |
| Daughter | Anais Galetti |
| Training | National Service + 3 Michelin-star level training |
| Moved to London | 2001 |
| Upcoming Project | TASI at Moanalei Villas, Samoa (expected 2026) |
Who is David Galetti? The Man Behind the Wine Glass
David Galetti is one of Britain’s most respected sommeliers and hospitality professionals — a man whose name is spoken with quiet reverence in London’s fine dining circles. Born in the Jura region of France, a beautiful wine-producing area bordering Switzerland, David grew up immersed in a culture where food and drink were treated as serious, passionate pursuits. That early environment would shape everything that came after. From his very first steps in professional kitchens and dining rooms, David demonstrated an instinctive understanding of hospitality that went far beyond simply pouring wine.
Unlike many culinary figures who seek the spotlight, David Galetti built his entire career on a philosophy of quiet excellence. His identity is rooted in service, precision, and an unshakeable dedication to guest experience. Before the world came to know him as the husband of television chef Monica Galetti, David had already carved out a formidable reputation at some of London’s most prestigious addresses. He represents a dying art — the master sommelier who can read a room, understand a guest’s mood, and transform a meal into a genuine memory.
Roots in Jura: Where David Galetti’s Story Begins
The Jura region of eastern France is not the most famous wine appellation in the country, but it is one of the most distinctive. Known for its Vin Jaune, its Savagnin grape, and its deeply traditional winemaking culture, Jura produces wines of extraordinary character. Growing up in this environment, David Galetti absorbed lessons about terroir, patience, and craftsmanship that most aspiring sommeliers only learn from textbooks later in life. His palate was being educated long before he ever entered a professional restaurant.
This regional background gave David something that no amount of formal training can fully replicate — genuine cultural connection to wine. He did not study wine as an abstract subject; he lived alongside it. Before relocating to London in 2001, David also completed his French National Service and pursued training at three-Michelin-star level, a rigorous standard that demands not just technical knowledge but composure under pressure. These formative years gave him a foundation that would sustain a remarkable career in one of the world’s most competitive restaurant cities.
Arriving in London: A New City, An Extraordinary Opportunity
When David Galetti arrived in London in 2001, he stepped into a city experiencing a golden age of restaurant culture. The early 2000s saw British fine dining reach new heights, driven by a wave of exceptional talent and a growing public appetite for serious gastronomy. For a young French sommelier with exceptional training, London was exactly the right place at exactly the right time. He quickly found his footing in the city’s competitive hospitality scene and sought positions that would challenge and develop his already considerable skills.
His move to London also proved personally transformative in a way he could never have anticipated. It was at Le Gavroche — the legendary Mayfair restaurant that would become the defining institution of his early career — that David Galetti met the woman who would become his wife and professional partner. Monica Galetti was working as a chef there under the guidance of Michel Roux Jr., and the connection between the two was immediate. Their relationship became one of the most celebrated love stories in British hospitality, proof that great restaurants can be places of both professional and personal discovery.
Le Gavroche: The Training Ground of a Master Sommelier
Le Gavroche holds a unique place in British culinary history. Founded by Albert and Michel Roux, and later presided over by Michel Roux Jr., it was the first restaurant in Britain to receive one, two, and then three Michelin stars. Its wine programme, its service culture, and its unwavering commitment to French haute cuisine made it the definitive finishing school for any serious hospitality professional. For David Galetti, becoming head sommelier at Le Gavroche was not just a career milestone — it was the fullest possible expression of his skills.
As head sommelier, David was responsible for one of London’s most celebrated wine lists, managing guest relationships with the kind of warmth and expertise that distinguishes truly great front-of-house professionals. He worked alongside Michel Roux Jr. for years, absorbing the legendary restaurateur’s standards of perfection and his deeply held belief that hospitality is fundamentally an act of generosity. This experience shaped David’s philosophy in ways that would later define everything about Mere. The discipline, the elegance, the attention to every detail of a guest’s experience — all of it traces directly back to his years at Le Gavroche.
The Art of Sommellerie: What Makes David Galetti Exceptional
The word “sommelier” is often misunderstood by the dining public. Many assume it means simply someone who knows about wine. In reality, a truly great sommelier is a conductor of the entire dining experience — someone who reads the room, understands the kitchen, coordinates with service staff, and translates the entire personality of a meal into liquid form. David Galetti’s approach to sommellerie was built on exactly this expansive understanding of the role. Wine, for him, was never separate from the food, the atmosphere, or the people being served.
His particular genius lay in making fine dining feel genuinely accessible without ever compromising on quality. Great sommeliers possess an almost theatrical sensitivity — the ability to adjust their manner, their recommendations, and their pacing to suit each individual guest. David brought exactly this quality to every table he served. Former diners at both Le Gavroche and Mere consistently describe his presence in the dining room as a defining element of their experience — the thing that elevated a very good meal into something they still talk about years later.
Mere Restaurant: A Dream Built Together
In 2017, David and Monica Galetti opened Mere on Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia, London. The name itself was deeply personal — pronounced “Mary” in Samoan, it honoured Monica’s late grandmother, immediately signalling that this was not going to be another generic fine dining establishment but something rooted in genuine identity and family meaning. With financial backing from hospitality entrepreneur Alastair Storey, the couple brought their complementary expertise to bear on every aspect of the restaurant. Monica led the kitchen; David led the dining room and wine programme.
Mere’s menu was an ambitious and original blend of classical French technique — the cooking style both David and Monica had absorbed during their Le Gavroche years — with the vibrant flavours of the South Pacific, reflecting Monica’s Samoan heritage and New Zealand upbringing. The combination was entirely unique in London’s restaurant landscape. Mere was recommended in the Michelin Guide and praised by critics for dishes described as “assured, colourful and creative, with well-judged flavours.” Though it never achieved a Michelin star, it earned something arguably more valuable — the passionate loyalty of its guests.
“Kitchens, like offices, can be hotbeds for romances — and how Monica and David Galetti met whilst working at Le Gavroche, fell in love and married, is one of the most well-known stories in the hospitality industry.”
Seven Years of Excellence: The Legacy of Mere
Over its seven years of operation, Mere became one of London’s most beloved independent restaurants. It was the kind of place that guests returned to again and again, that became part of the rhythm of Londoners’ special occasions, and that represented the very best of what a personal, owner-led restaurant can achieve in a city dominated by large groups and celebrity brands. David’s contribution to Mere’s success was irreplaceable — his front-of-house leadership created the atmosphere that made Monica’s cooking feel like an event rather than simply a meal.
In September 2023, acclaimed chef Sven-Hanson Britt joined Mere as head chef, following the closure of his own London restaurant Oxeye. Britt even travelled to Samoa to research dishes for the menu — a move that showed the Galettis’ continuing commitment to deepening Mere’s connection to its cultural roots even in its final season. But in April 2024, after seven years, the Galettis made the difficult decision to close Mere. The announcement came via Instagram, with a message of profound gratitude: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of Mere restaurant — but we feel this is the right time after 7 years.”
Closing Mere: An Ending and a Beginning
The closure of Mere in April 2024 was a significant moment for London’s restaurant scene. The Galettis were not alone — fellow MasterChef: The Professionals judge Marcus Wareing had closed his restaurant at The Berkeley, and Jason Atherton had announced the end of Pollen Street Social after thirteen years. London’s fine dining landscape was shifting, and independent restaurants were finding the economics increasingly challenging. But for David and Monica, the closure of Mere was framed not as defeat but as the completion of a chapter and the beginning of something new.
The final service at Mere took place on 16 April 2024. Those who were there described it as emotional and celebratory in equal measure — a room full of people who understood they were witnessing the end of something genuinely special. David Galetti’s role throughout that final period was, characteristically, to ensure that every guest left feeling looked after, that every bottle was opened with care, and that the spirit of hospitality that had defined Mere from its first day to its last remained completely intact. It was a final, generous act of service from a man who had dedicated his career to exactly that.
The Next Adventure: TASI and the Samoa Project
Following the closure of Mere, reports emerged linking David and Monica Galetti to an exciting new international venture — TASI, a signature restaurant project at Moanalei Villas in Samoa, expected to open in early 2026. The project represents a deeply meaningful evolution for both David and Monica, taking their culinary vision back to the roots that inspired so much of what made Mere special. Samoa is not simply a location for a restaurant — for the Galettis, it is a homecoming of sorts, a return to the cultural heartland that has always informed their cooking philosophy.
For David specifically, TASI represents the next stage of a career built on precision, partnership, and a constant desire to grow. If Mere was the proof of concept — the demonstration that a wine expert and a celebrated chef could build something extraordinary together — TASI promises to be the fullest expression of what the Galettis have become. With the knowledge, the networks, and the hard-won wisdom of seven years running an independent London restaurant behind them, they are arguably better positioned than ever to create something truly remarkable.
David Galetti’s Personal Life: Marriage, Family, and Partnership
David and Monica Galetti met in 2001 while both working at Le Gavroche and married in 2004. Their relationship has been the cornerstone of one of British hospitality’s most remarkable partnerships — two professionals with genuinely complementary skills who have managed to sustain both a marriage and a business across decades in one of the world’s most demanding industries. The couple have a daughter, Anais, and Monica has spoken openly about the challenges and rewards of building a family while running a restaurant at the highest level.
David has consistently supported Monica’s public career while maintaining his own quiet professional identity. He has never sought celebrity status, never competed with his wife’s public profile, and never allowed ego to compromise the shared mission of creating exceptional hospitality. This balance — of confident self-knowledge, generous partnership, and undiminished ambition — is perhaps the most admirable thing about David Galetti. In an industry sometimes defined by large egos, he has always known exactly who he is and what he does best.
The Galetti Partnership: Two Worlds, One Vision
David Galetti and Monica Galetti represent the perfect professional complement. Where Monica commands the kitchen with creative force and technical mastery, David orchestrates the dining room with warmth, wine wisdom, and flawless service instinct. Together they built Mere and are now taking that shared vision to Samoa’s TASI project. Their relationship proves that the most enduring hospitality institutions are built not just on talent, but on genuine partnership.
Who is Monica Galetti? The Chef Who Changed British Television
Monica Galetti is a Samoan-born, New Zealand-raised chef and television presenter who became one of the most recognisable faces in British food culture. Born in 1975, she grew up in New Zealand after moving there at the age of eight, learning to cook first from her mother — an education rooted in Pacific tradition and fresh, bold flavours. Her path to professional cooking was shaped by a combination of natural talent and extraordinary determination. When Michel Roux Jr. offered her a position at Le Gavroche, she relocated to London and threw herself into one of the most demanding kitchens in the country.
Monica’s rise at Le Gavroche was remarkable by any measure. She became the first woman to hold the position of Senior Sous Chef at the restaurant — a glass ceiling-breaking achievement that reflected both her exceptional skill and her relentless work ethic. Michel Roux Jr. has credited her as one of the finest chefs he has ever worked with, and her trajectory from relative unknown to television judge and celebrated restaurant owner is a story of sustained excellence that has inspired a generation of young chefs, particularly women entering what has historically been a male-dominated profession.
Monica Galetti on MasterChef: The Professionals — A Television Legacy
Monica Galetti joined MasterChef: The Professionals as a judge in 2009, alongside Michel Roux Jr. and presenter Gregg Wallace. Her presence on the show was immediately transformative. Where other judges brought enthusiasm or showmanship, Monica brought something more valuable — genuine, unsparing professional expertise delivered with directness and fairness. Contestants knew that impressing Monica meant something, because she had no interest in flattery and every interest in actual cooking. Her standards were the standards of Le Gavroche, and she applied them consistently throughout her tenure.
She remained a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals until 2021, when she stepped back to prioritise her family and her restaurant team. After a brief absence, she returned to the show in March 2023, demonstrating that her connection to television and to mentoring young professional chefs remained strong. During her years on the programme, Monica also appeared as a presenter on Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, broadening her television presence and introducing her to audiences who might not have followed the fine dining world. She has also authored several cookbooks, including Monica’s Kitchen (2012) and The Skills (2016).
Monica’s Samoan Heritage: The Heart of Her Culinary Identity
Monica Galetti’s Samoan origins are not simply biographical detail — they are the cultural engine that drives her most distinctive cooking. Her connection to Samoa shaped the flavours and spirit that made Mere unique, and it continues to define her culinary vision for the future. The restaurant’s very name — Mere — was a tribute to her late grandmother, and the menu consistently drew on Pacific Island ingredients and techniques, woven through with the classical French training that Le Gavroche had given her. The result was a cuisine entirely her own, found nowhere else in London.
Monica serves as a UK Tourism Ambassador for Samoa, a role that reflects the depth of her commitment to celebrating and sharing her heritage. Her approach to food has always been personal rather than merely professional — driven by memory, by family, by the flavours of a childhood spent between two very different parts of the world. This authenticity is precisely what distinguished Mere from the many technically accomplished but emotionally neutral restaurants that populate London’s fine dining scene. Guests could taste the story in every dish.
Monica Galetti’s Culinary Philosophy: Discipline, Precision, and Heart
Those who have watched Monica Galetti on television or eaten at Mere quickly understand that her cooking is governed by a very specific philosophy: discipline first, creativity second. She believes that technical mastery is the necessary foundation without which creativity becomes mere experimentation. This is the Le Gavroche legacy — the understanding that freedom in the kitchen is earned through years of rigorous training in the fundamentals. Every dish she creates is built on that foundation of precision before it reaches for something personal or expressive.
At the same time, Monica’s cooking has never been cold or merely technical. She brings genuine warmth and storytelling to her food — an ability to make guests feel that they are being let into something private and meaningful. The Michelin Guide’s description of Mere’s food as “assured, colourful and creative, with well-judged flavours” captures this perfectly. Assured means the technical confidence; colourful and creative point to the Pacific heart; well-judged suggests the restraint and sensitivity that prevents creativity from tipping into excess. That balance is Monica’s signature.
How David and Monica’s Relationship Shaped Their Professional World
The partnership between David Galetti and Monica Galetti is genuinely unusual in the restaurant world — and genuinely successful. Most couples who attempt to run a restaurant together discover that the pressures are simply too great, that professional disagreements bleed into personal ones and vice versa. The Galettis managed to build and sustain Mere for seven years, which speaks to both the strength of their relationship and the clarity with which they divided their professional responsibilities. Monica owned the kitchen; David owned the dining room. That boundary was always respected.
What made their collaboration particularly powerful was that it was not just a practical division of labour but a genuine creative conversation. The wine programme at Mere was not separate from the food — it was in continuous dialogue with it. David’s understanding of flavour, texture, and structure informed his wine selections in ways that amplified Monica’s cooking. And Monica’s dishes were conceived with an awareness of how they would be experienced alongside wine, creating a coherence of experience that few restaurants manage. Together they built something neither could have built alone.
The Galettis’ Relationship to Michel Roux Jr. and Le Gavroche’s Legacy
Both David and Monica Galetti owe a significant professional debt to Michel Roux Jr., the legendary chef who not only gave Monica her break in London but also presided over the institution where David built his sommelier career. Roux Jr.’s influence on both of them is apparent — in the emphasis on technical rigour, in the belief that hospitality is fundamentally about making guests feel genuinely valued, and in the understanding that a restaurant’s identity must be built on authentic cultural foundation rather than trend-chasing. Le Gavroche was the school; the Galettis were among its finest graduates.
The closure of Le Gavroche itself in early 2024 — announced by Roux Jr. as a personal decision to step back and reflect — was a cultural moment in British dining, coming in the same year as the closure of Mere. It felt, to many observers, like the end of an era. But for the Galettis, it also reinforced a conviction: that great hospitality survives because of the people it has trained, not only through the institutions themselves. Whatever comes next for David and Monica — and TASI suggests something very exciting indeed — it will carry the fingerprints of everything Le Gavroche taught them.
David Galetti’s Net Worth and Financial Profile
David Galetti’s precise net worth is not publicly confirmed and any source claiming a specific figure without evidence should be treated with healthy scepticism. His income has derived primarily from his long tenure as head sommelier at Le Gavroche — a senior role at a prestigious institution — and from his co-ownership of Mere over seven years. Restaurant ownership in London is notoriously challenging financially, and while Mere clearly had a loyal customer base, the economics of independent fine dining are rarely straightforward even for well-regarded establishments.
What is clear is that David’s professional value was never primarily financial. His wealth, in the truest sense, lies in the reputation he has built over two decades at the top of British hospitality, in the relationships forged across London’s wine and restaurant industries, and in the expertise that makes him a genuinely irreplaceable front-of-house professional. The upcoming TASI project in Samoa represents both a personal and professional investment — a bet, made with Monica, on a vision for what their careers can become in a new international context. That kind of ambition, at this stage of a career, suggests a man with much still to offer the hospitality world.
The Galettis and the Future of Fine Dining in Britain and Beyond
The story of David Galetti and Monica Galetti is, in microcosm, the story of British fine dining over the past two decades — its extraordinary rise, its challenges, its evolution, and its ongoing reinvention. From the hallowed rooms of Le Gavroche to the intimate dining room of Mere, and now to the shores of Samoa, the Galettis have always followed a vision rather than a trend. They represent the best kind of hospitality professionals: those who understand that restaurants are ultimately about human connection, that wine and food are merely the language through which that connection is expressed.
As fine dining continues to evolve globally — with guests increasingly seeking authenticity, cultural meaning, and genuine personal connection over mere technical virtuosity — the Galettis’ approach looks prescient rather than nostalgic. TASI, if it realises its potential, could become one of the most talked-about restaurant openings of 2026: a project with real cultural roots, genuine culinary ambition, and two of the most respected professionals in the industry behind it. David Galetti’s quieter, front-of-house half of that partnership will be every bit as essential to its success as Monica’s brilliance in the kitchen.
What David Galetti Teaches Us About Success in Hospitality
Perhaps the most important lesson of David Galetti’s career is one that applies far beyond the restaurant world: that genuine excellence, built steadily and without ego over many years, creates a more durable legacy than any amount of fame or publicity. David never sought the spotlight. He never leveraged his relationship with Monica for personal celebrity. He never chased trends or compromised his standards for commercial convenience. He simply did his work — thoughtfully, rigorously, generously — and allowed the quality of that work to speak for itself. In an attention economy obsessed with visibility, that is a genuinely radical approach.
The hospitality industry is littered with short-lived sensations — restaurants that opened to extraordinary fanfare and closed within eighteen months, chefs who burned brightly and briefly on television screens before disappearing from the industry. David Galetti represents something different: sustained excellence built on genuine knowledge, authentic values, and a deep understanding of what hospitality is actually for. As he and Monica embark on their next chapter in Samoa, that foundation will carry them. David Galetti is, in every sense, a professional built for the long game — and the long game is the only one worth playing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who is David Galetti?
David Galetti is a French-born sommelier and restaurateur from the Jura region of France. He is best known as the husband of MasterChef: The Professionals judge Monica Galetti, former head sommelier at Le Gavroche, and co-founder of Mere restaurant in London (2017–2024).
Q2. Where did David Galetti work before Mere?
David served as head sommelier at Le Gavroche — the legendary Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant led by Michel Roux Jr. He moved to London in 2001 after completing his national service and training at three-Michelin-star level in France.
Q3. Why did Mere restaurant close?
Mere closed on 16 April 2024 after seven years of operation. The Galettis announced the closure on Instagram, saying “we feel this is the right time.” The closure came amid a wider wave of high-profile London restaurant closures in 2024.
Q4. Did Mere ever win a Michelin star?
Mere was consistently recommended in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland but did not receive a Michelin star. The Guide praised the food as “assured, colourful and creative, with well-judged flavours.”
Q5. Who is Monica Galetti?
Monica Galetti is a Samoan-born, New Zealand-raised chef and television presenter. She became famous as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals (2009–2021, returning 2023) and was the first woman to hold the role of senior sous chef at Le Gavroche.
Q6. What is the TASI restaurant project?
TASI is a new signature restaurant project at Moanalei Villas in Samoa, linked to David and Monica Galetti and expected to open in early 2026. It represents the couple’s next major venture after the closure of Mere.
Q7. How did David and Monica Galetti meet?
David and Monica Galetti met in 2001 while both working at Le Gavroche in London — Monica as a chef and David as a sommelier. They married in 2004 and have a daughter named Anais. Their love story is one of the most celebrated in British hospitality.
Conclusion
David Galetti is far more than Monica Galetti’s husband — he is an accomplished hospitality professional in his own right, whose career embodies the very finest traditions of French sommellerie and British fine dining. From his origins in Jura to his years at Le Gavroche, from the founding of Mere to the anticipated opening of TASI in Samoa, David’s story is one of consistent excellence, quiet ambition, and the profound power of genuine partnership. As both he and Monica look toward their next chapter, the hospitality world has every reason to watch with great anticipation. The best, it seems, is yet to come.
Fore more info: Magazineinsights.co.uk
