The epitome of dining elegance in South Australia, Primo Caon has passed away

The elegant face of Adelaide CBD lunchtime dining for half a century has many diners mourning after his passing.

A titan of the Adelaide restaurant industry has passed, leaving many to toast the wonderful life of Primo Fortunato Caon who elegantly ran Chesser Cellars for almost half a century.

Fine food and cultured service were a given in a restaurant where, if the walls had shorthand, could tell stories of industry leaders, politicians, and many more as conversation flowed, sometimes a little loosely, over long lunches. Primo of course was nothing but discreet.

SA winemaker Wolf Blass and his wife Martine with George Fairbrother and Primo Caon at a function at Ayers House, North Terrace, Adelaide, May 1981.

Born on West Terrace on August 25, 1935, his parents were from Venice. Primo, like his father trained as a master butcher, went into national service and spent time as a kangaroo shooter.

After work in the wine industry, then forging untold anecdotes running La Cantina and Charlie Browns with brother Giocondo bringing European cool to the CBD, the brothers ran Rigoni’s in Leigh St then Primo branched out to the Chesser restaurant in Coromandel Place.

Always impeccably dressed, admirers recall Primo was much more than an urbane host — he was an institution.

Primo Caon owner of the Chesser Cellars Restaurant and Bar in Coromandel Place.

Restaurateur Primo Caon had a wonderful wine list in his famed Chesser Cellars restaurant.

His retirement in 2012 was a sore blow to the well-heeled city lunch crowd looking for a comfortable place to dine in style and possibly do deals.

Family and friends are invited to attend Mr Caon’s funeral service on Thursday, June 27 from 1pm in the Chapel of Berry’s Funeral Home at Norwood, in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to The Heart Foundation or Dementia Australia.

His family’s funeral notice’s final statement succinctly sums up Primo Caon: “A grand life!”