The story
Chef Michele Fortunato brings Apulian roots to the dining room at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva. His modern Italian cuisine balances handcrafted technique with regional terroir ingredients. The Gault&Millau guide awarded the venue fifteen points this year, noting how the menu bridges historical elegance with contemporary refinement. Every plate reflects a deliberate focus on seasonal produce and precise execution.
A crispy rice leaf cornetto opens the meal, filled with a fine brunoise of seasonal vegetables and fruit. The kitchen applies these Italian cooking principles to reinterpret vitello tonnato through four small ravioli stuffed with tuna mousse, draped over paper-thin veal and an aromatic sauce. Handmade tagliatelle form a single large raviolo that carries a robust veal ragout alongside green asparagus and wild herbs. Turbot completes the savory progression, resting beside confit Gargano tomatoes and Galician razor clams.
Pâtissier Lyece Major closes the evening with spring-inspired textures and delicate sweetness. Candied strawberries sit in their own syrup next to almond mousse and stracciatella, finished with a light almond sorbet. The dining space draws on nearly two centuries of riverfront history along the Rhône, offering a backdrop for refined Italian cuisine. Service remains attentive yet unobtrusive, matching the steady pace of the meal.
Recognition
Details
History
On the roof of the Hotel des Bergues, Izumi, with just under thirty seats, offers not only spectacular views but also a contemporary interpretation of Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine by Chef Toshikazu Kato, served with its fair share of highs and lows. The kadayif-wrapped oysters lost nearly all their flavor during cooking, a shortcoming that neither caviar nor truffle, and certainly not the gold leaf, could compensate for. With the sashimi – the dorade usuzukuri with truffle ponzu and the seriola with yuzu-soy sauce – the sauces overpowered the delicate fish. At least the black cod, made world-famous by Nobu Matsuhisa, delivered pure indulgence with its perfect preparation and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The service was warm and attentive.
