As part of this year's A Love Beyond, the ‘Chef & Winemakers' Night’ will take place on Saturday evening. We are delighted to welcome four international top chefs from the Design Hotels network.
Design Hotels asked itself: What dishes do chefs most enjoy preparing when they have the opportunity to cook far away from their usual kitchens?
Design Hotels invited four chefs from their hotels around the world to cook their favourite dishes at Chefs & Winemakers' Night. The stars from the Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel in Austria, the Stamba Hotel in Georgia, the Phāea Cretan Malia in Greece and the ION City Hotel in Iceland are coming together for one purpose: to spoil their guests with delicious food. We asked each chef about their favourite dish and why they like it so much. They all generously shared the details of their recipes with us.
Levan Karseladze
Stamba Hotel, Tbilisi, Georgia
As Executive Chef at Stamba Hotel, Levan has given the iconic Café Stamba’s menu a new feel, putting his signature take on some classic Georgia favorites. Located within the Stamba hotel, famously known as the cultural hub of the city, Café Stamba has a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere.
Tell us about the dish you’re preparing—what feeling does it bring up for you?
This dish is rooted in my memory of a traditional family recipe called Kvari, passed down for generations. It’s something I grew up with, and something that shaped my understanding of flavor and comfort. For this version I’ve reimagined it, not to change what it was but to build on it. I kept the soul of the dish: the Kvari dough and filling, but added layers of spice, depth, and texture, topping it with a cream sauce made with red and green adjika, white wine, and zingy citrus. It’s both a tribute and a transformation, a way to honor the past while making space for something new.
Lefteris Iliadis
Phāea Cretan Malia, Crete, Greece
The Executive Chef at Phāea Cretan Malia Lefteris Iliadis alongside his team, celebrate Crete’s finest ingredients—seasonal vegetables from the hotel’s garden, wild herbs, and sustainably sourced meats and seafood from across the island—to create dishes that nod to pure Greek tradition.
What is your favorite thing to cook?
A Cretan dakos with juicy tomatoes and virgin olive oil awakens summer within me. It’s not just food; it’s a journey into the past. Memories of summers in the village, back when life was simple and beautiful. I remember friends, family meals, laughter, sharing.
This dish for me and its taste is pure memory, it is a root, and a way to keep summer forever in your soul.
Jamie Unshelm
Rote Wand, Lech am Arlberg, Austria
As head of the Rote Wand Culinary Lab, Jamie is responsible for the in-house research that happens at Rote Wand, using high-tech equipment for all sorts of culinary experiments. Among soaring mountain scenery, Jamie and his team lay the groundwork for the iconic tasting menu at the Rote Wand Chef’s Table. His featured dish carries the warmth of childhood memories and the excitement of innovation.
Tell us about the dish you’re preparing—not just the ingredients, but the memory or feeling it brings up for you.
The dish we’re preparing is true feel-good food: comforting, familiar, and deeply rooted in our alpine heritage, but with a modern twist. For us, it tastes like home. We’re serving an Austrian classic of egg salad. But we’ve reimagined it with a little kick; our house-made nduja adds warmth and depth, creating a nice contrast to the creaminess of the eggs. What makes it truly special is the local touch. Trout caviar sourced just meters away from a nearby fish pond. It brings a subtle freshness and a sense of place; you can literally taste the region in every bite.
Thrainn Freyr Vigfússon
Ion City Hotel, Reykjavik, Iceland
Thrainn Freyr Vigfússon is the chef and owner of Sumac Grill + Drinks and ÓX restaurant, two of Reykjavik’s top spots to dine. Nearby dramatic fjords and surreal landscapes, ÓX is the tiny, magical 17-seat restaurant with modern renditions of traditional Icelandic cuisine, and Sumac Grill + Drinks features dishes from Beirut with Icelandic flair.
Tell us about your dish; what makes it special?
I'm making a hearty vegetarian dish with rutabaga, one of the most commonly used root vegetables in Iceland, after potatoes of course. But at the same time, it’s so underrated by Icelanders! The base is creamy skyr with rutabaga gnocchi covered in brown butter. Topped with crispy croutons and smokey egg yolks that gives the dish the deep umami flavor. Rutabaga was commonly just boiled back in the days and served as is, but if you give it some love it can be amazing!
Join Thrainn, Jamie, Lefteris and Levan at ‘A Love Beyond’, taking place from 19 to 21 September at the CERVO Mountain Resort in Zermatt, Switzerland.
Buy your Retreat Pass.
Source: Design Hotels
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