RestaurantsChefs

Meet our Chefs

Gastronomy, bistronomy, traditional and Italian cuisine... our passionate Chefs work with talent and expertise alongside their brigade, to ensure the success of every service at La Brasserie, Le Riva, the Hip Bar or banquet service, from the hotel's various kitchens.

Sylvain Fombertasse_Cuisines Imperial Palace Annecy - Le Peliccan - Groupe PVG

Sylvain FOMBERTASSE
Head Cuisine Manager

Trained in the Lyon kitchens of Bocuse and Pignol, this son of restaurateurs and brother of a chef definitely has gastronomy in his genes. After 7 years at La Brasserie de l'Impérial Palace, Exectutive Chef Fombertasse moved to the "Ô Bon Bec" restaurant at Le Pelican, where he offers a daring, gourmet bistronomic cuisine.

In January 2024, Sylvain broadens his skills and is appointed Head Chef Manager of the PVG Group's Annecy establishments, where he will oversee all food and beverage outlets.

Chef Nicolas Bianchetti, Impérial Palace Annecy

Nicolas BIANCHETTI
Restaurant Head Chef La Table & Le Salon

Nicolas discovered his passion for cooking at a very early age, when, as a child, he donned an apron and stood behind the stove at the Alpine Scouts. He began his training at the hotel school in Thonon-les-Bains, then at the prestigious Ferrandi school in Paris. He gained solid experience working with Michelin-starred chefs such as Marc Haeberlin, Alain Chapel, Jean-Paul Lacombe and Alain Dutournier, before running his own gourmet restaurant, L'Héliantis, in Le Grand Bornand for ten years.

In February 2023, he joined the Impérial Palace, first as Banquet Chef, before taking over the management of La Brasserie and then La Table & Le Salon de l'Impérial. At the head of his team, he puts his expertise and creativity to work in creating refined and varied cuisine.

Taoufiq Sellami I Restaurant Le Riva I Casino et Imperial Palace Annecy

Taoufiq SELLAMI
Head Chef at Le Riva restaurant

Taoufiq joined the Imperial Palace in 1994, initially as a fishmonger for the La Voile restaurant. Under the wing of Chef Laurent Saudeau, he discovered the demanding world of professional kitchens and developed a passion for gastronomy. Self-taught, he learned on the job, gaining experience over the years and through encounters with other chefs, notably Vincent Lange, followed by an enriching internship in Lyon alongside Chef Philippe Gauvreau.

After holding several positions, from commis chef to chef de partie, then head chef at the casino's Le Poker restaurant, he became Head Chef at La Voile, before taking on a new challenge in 2014 with the opening of La Brasserie, alongside Michelin-starred Chef Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex.

Since 2022, he has been at the helm of the kitchen at Le Riva restaurant, where he creates modern, generous cuisine rooted in tradition and inspired by subtle sweet and savoury combinations. Loyal to the Imperial Palace for over thirty years, Taoufiq embodies the passion, rigour and continuity of a wonderful culinary history.

Quentin THEVENARD
Pastry Chef of the Imperial Palace & Pelican

According to his mother, he fell into the pot when he was very young! Always in the kitchen by her side, all he could think about was cooking. He obtained his hotel management BEP with a cooking option in 2006 at the Stanislas high school in Nancy and, two years later, in Arras, his BP in the same subjects. He went on to obtain an additional mention as a Restaurant Dessert Cook and in 2015 he was awarded the gastronomy trophy for the best Pastry Chef in Rhône-Alpes.

His career path takes him across France, Deauville, Le Normandy, Arêches-Beaufort and Le Christiania***, Mercuès alongside Philippe Combet*. At the end of 2013, he moved closer to the shores of Lake Annecy with Yoann Conte**, before joining the gastronomic restaurant La Voile in February 2017.

Today, Quentin creates all the delicacies for all restaurants of the Impérial Palace and the Hôtel Le Pelican, as well as the "Ô bon pain" bakery.

Délia KASSAHead of Sommellerie

Originally from Grenoble and born into a family of restaurateurs, Délia developed a passion for gastronomy and the art of food and wine pairings from an early age. Trained in hospitality and catering, she later specialized in sommellerie and the wine and spirits trade, enriching her experience alongside renowned professionals, including Bruno Bozzer at La Java des Flacons in Annecy.

Since May 2022, she has been bringing her expertise to Impérial Palace, where she currently serves as Head of Sommellerie, overseeing the wine list at the hotel’s restaurant, La Table de l’Impérial, as well as at Le Coeur du Village in La Clusaz (LE CIN5 – 1 Michelin star & Le Coeur).

While the Rhône Valley remains her personal favorite, Délia is committed to offering a varied and balanced selection, inspired by her discoveries, and sharing her passion through thoughtfully curated wines designed to spark curiosity and complement our Chefs’ creations.