Nestled in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Villars Palace, the flagship of the local hotel industry, owes its name to its magisterial building and the breathtaking beauty of the setting. Recently restored, this legendary hotel dating back to 1913 has kept its past splendour intact, a transformation that has been applauded for its comfort, warm chic and timeless elegance. The Villars Alpine Resort group has 3 other addresses in Villars-Sur-Ollon, for which Chef Bertogna has been appointed Culinary Director and Executive Chef.
Originally from Como in Italy, this culinary virtuoso captivates with his refined yet generous cuisine. He has developed a cuisine inspired by the land and nature, placing the local environment at the heart of his dishes. Each dish he creates is a symphony of flavours crafted with respect for the product and balanced innovation.
His years of training at the prestigious Quisisana Capri laid the foundations for his culinary philosophy. He then held executive positions at the Lausanne Palace and Beau-Rivage at the GH Villa Castagnola in Lugano, where he honed his art to create a cuisine that combines quality ingredients and respect for culinary traditions. Today, he oversees the restaurants of the four hotels in the Villars Alpine Resort group, including Villars Palace, Chalet RoyAlp Hotel & Spa, Victoria Hotel & Residence, and Villars Lodge. His approach to hospitality and cuisine transcends the simple culinary experience to offer a true sense of comfort to every visitor.
To give you a flavour of his talent, here is one of his signature recipes, a dish that perfectly captures the essence of his cuisine. Sea bass roasted with star anise, sautéed purple artichokes with pequillos, green tomato juice, a recipe by Chef Bertogna :
Roasted sea bass with star anise, sautéed purple artichokes with pequillos, green tomato juice
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 4 nice 140gr fillets of line-caught sea bass with skin, well scaled
- 4 star anise
- 6 purple artichokes, turned
- 2 pequillo peppers, cut into strips
- 1 raw spring onion, minced
- 4 basil sprigs
- Extra-virgin fruity olive oil
- Parsley shoots
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Fleur de sel
Sicilian green tomato juice
- 4 beautiful green Sicilian tomatoes
- 1dl fresh olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Aromatic garnish
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 garlic clove
Procedure:
Cleaning artichokes
Prepare slightly acidic water with lemon.
Clean and turn the artichokes, taking care to give them a nice fullness into the acidulated water to slow down oxidation.
Cover with damp paper and set aside.
Green tomato juice
Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds to finish.
Blend the raw tomato pulp and strain through a chinois, then bring the resulting juice to the boil, reducing it to half.
Whisk with fruity olive oil and set aside.
Finishing and presentation
Season the sea bass steaks and roast them skin-side down in olive oil. Once the skin is evenly colored, add the star anise.
Turn the fish over and finish cooking, basting regularly with the oil.
Cut the artichokes into 2mm strips, then season and sauté in olive oil with the aromatic garnish.
At the end of cooking, add the chillies, raw spring onions and parsley shoots, then arrange.
Place the fish on top of the artichokes, mix in the hot juices and add the tomato seeds, correct the seasoning and garnish the plate.
Decorate the fish with a basil leaf, star anise and fleur de sel.
Le 1913, Villars Palace
Route des Hôtels 28,
1884 Villars-sur-Ollon
Phone: +41 24 496 22 96
Website: villarspalace.ch
Email: info@var.ch