Our journey

Gagan, who is from India, went to international schools in Panchgani, Aurangabad and New Delhi, then took an MBA in Economics and Marketing. He went on to study hospitality management in the United States, with a diploma from César Ritz Colleges. His career with Ritz-Carlton took him to Washington D.C., New York and finally Boston, where he was Food & Beverage Manager.

Daniela was born and raised in Ticino and graduated from the École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL). She moved to New York to start her career at the New York Palace Hotel, then joined Ritz-Carlton, holding management roles in New York and in Boston, where she was Director of Rooms.

In 2006 we moved to Ticino to start a new chapter. Our son Marc was born that same year. In 2007 we took over the Ristorante degli Amici in Vezia, and in 2009 our daughter Sara arrived. As the family grew, so did the wish to build something entirely our own: a place that says who we are, where we come from and where we want to go.

In 2011 we found the old villa in Montagnola that would become Tabla. It took a full year to renovate it from top to bottom. On 4 June 2012 we finally opened the doors: two floors for the restaurant, with the main dining room on the ground floor and three private rooms on the first. On the floors above we built our home, the natural continuation of the life and love we put into our work every day.

Today we are proud to celebrate 19 years of hospitality in Lugano. It has taken commitment, passion and a deep love for what we do. We are immensely grateful to every guest who has walked into Tabla and helped write this story with us.

With gratitude, Gagan & Daniela