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Marco Tola is known as “the mysterious Instagram god of food art.” He prefers to let his innovative, visually striking dishes speak for themselves rather than seek the spotlight. With 140,000 Instagram followers (@marco_tola_), his distinctive style has inspired countless imitators worldwide and earned recognition from renowned chefs. This interview explores the story behind the food art and the chef’s creative journey.
Marco Tola
Introduction to Marco Tola
A while ago I was allowed to do an interview with the Italian head chef Marco Tola. This man inspires me and many others through his food art. My first impression of him is that he comes across to me as a gentle, cheerful and kind man.
A clear thread runs through Marco’s life: his mission to inspire others through beautiful food. His passion shines through in how he speaks about his creative work with food, his determination to achieve his goals, and his deep love for his family—his supportive wife and two creative daughters. What stands out most is his modesty when receiving compliments. These qualities make him genuine and distinctive as both a chef and a person.
Remarkably, Marco never attended culinary school—a fact that surprised me when he shared it. His beautiful dishes suggest formal training, yet he taught himself by observing others and experimenting constantly. His path from dishwashing assistant to head chef at Hotel Indigo involved significant challenges. His story reveals how self-directed learning and persistence can rival formal culinary education.
Marco Tola background
Creatively gifted
Marco Tola was born on the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia. His mother soon realized that he has a gift. From childhood she has always encouraged him to do something with his gift. He discovered, but also partly through his mother, that he is talented and that he really excelled in everything that has to do with creativity. He told me that he used to love drawing and was really good at it. He had been a rapper in his younger years and wrote his own rap songs. He also did graffiti and there are more things he had done as a creative outlet.
Discovering what he really likes
At age 20, Marco emigrated to Germany to work in his uncle and aunt’s Italian restaurant. There he learned to make cappuccino and discovered his true passion: the kitchen. Fascinated by food preparation, he realized cooking could be his calling and committed to learning the craft.
Learn to cook yourself by observing others and just doing it
Learn to make pizza
Marco left Germany after less than a year, unable to form friendships due to his shyness. He moved to the Netherlands to work as a dishwashing assistant for another uncle. Watching the pizza baker sparked his determination to master the craft. Within a month, he was making pizza himself, and he quickly learned to prepare pizza dough, bread, and focaccia. His progress impressed even the experienced pizza baker.
Other challenges
At one point, Marco wanted to do something else because he found making pizza boring. So he started to look at the cold kitchen as to how others were going to make the cold appetizers. That appealed to him so much that he switched to the cold dishes. After a while, his uncle was proud of him and his achievements. Marco really learned everything he could learn from the cold kitchen. When he couldn’t learn anything new, his next step was to make better food.
At 22, Marco moved to Delft seeking greater knowledge and skill. He soon found that Italian restaurants felt interchangeable—same look, same approach, same menu. His creative instincts told him there was a better way. He developed rapidly, both mentally and technically, working with speed and precision. Marco visualizes each dish conceptually before executing it. When working alone, he would prepare multiple dishes simultaneously—a self-imposed challenge to accelerate his learning and expand his technical range.
He can compile his own menu at Impero Romano
Impero Romano in The Hague offered a fresh challenge—it wasn’t a standard Italian restaurant. Initially, Marco lacked creative freedom in the kitchen. After nine months of frustration, he spoke with the owner and was granted complete autonomy to develop his own menu. He stayed for six years, creating dishes that departed from traditional Italian cuisine. Guests found his creations surprising—bizarre yet beautiful and delicious. His innovative approach, such as serving carbonara in ravioli instead of spaghetti, and his inventive desserts, attracted diners. The restaurant filled nightly, and Marco’s reputation grew.
Jealousy and criticism from those around him prompted a turning point. Friends encouraged him to showcase his work publicly, so he began posting daily photos of his dishes on Instagram. Each post featured something new—different techniques, varied cuisines including Chinese and Japanese influences. The response was immediate and global: chefs and food enthusiasts praised his work, and many began imitating his style. His Instagram account became a visual diary of his emotional and creative life—his moods, dedication, and artistic evolution visible in every plate. This authenticity resonates with followers, who discover something genuine in his work. Marco remains amazed that over 200 new followers join daily.
Recognition of other chefs and people worldwide
For years, Marco Tola has shared his photos of his dishes on Instagram with the world. He became known as a result. All the great chefs were talking about him. They often want to know where Marco works, but he always indicates that he wants to be recognized because of his food art and not where he works. He also likes to read the positive comments of others about his creations but also when they say that to him. For example, if they say that they recognize his unique style from 1000 food art photos, that he is a trendsetter and that they think his food is talking, then he can become very emotional about it. It is the awareness that people know that he is there and that he is recognized and appreciated for his work. That motivates him to keep doing what he prefers to do.
Marco Tola is seen as the mysterious Instagram god
A chef told Marco he was known as “the mysterious Instagram god” everyone was discussing. The description surprised and moved him—he wasn’t accustomed to such recognition. He had deliberately stayed out of the spotlight, letting his dishes carry his reputation. This strategy worked: his innovative creations inspired many, and the scarcity of personal photos online only deepened public curiosity. People wanted to know the person behind the food.
First sous chef, then chef at the Indigo hotel in The Hague
In March, Marco joined Hotel Indigo in The Hague as sous chef and was promoted to Head Chef within months. The hotel granted him creative freedom to develop his own menu. Without formal culinary training, Marco brings a distinctive perspective: he recognizes unconventional techniques in his colleagues’ work and suggests alternative approaches. As Head Chef, he challenges the team with innovative dishes while remaining mindful of execution—ensuring creations are ambitious yet achievable for his staff to replicate and master. In April, he launched his new menu, a visual and culinary expression of his story. His dishes are designed to be both delicious and visually striking, positioning Hotel Indigo as a destination for innovative cuisine.
Introduction to his desserts
I found it very special that Marco Tola was going to prepare the 4 desserts from his new menu for me and then I tasted them one by one. The desserts were delightful and delicious.
New project – Update
Marco Tola is back in The Hague. He worked first for Indigo hotel and then he left to Jordan to work as executive pastry chef with chef Giorgio Diana in Amman, where his family followed him. After this adventure, he returned to The Hague and has now opened his own studio. From his studio he gives masterclasses and courses on subjects such as plated desserts, techniques, amuse-bouches, and more. You can follow him on his Instagram account marco_tola_. His book about pastry is expected to be published in December 2026.
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