Frank Giovannini

The Climb

Swiss fine dining training often starts with repetition before authorship: product handling, mise en place, station discipline, and the habit of finishing work cleanly. In 1989, Frank Giovannini entered that register under Chef Claude Joseph at L’Auberge de la Couronne in Apples, Switzerland, where the first lessons were less about display than about control, preparation, and respect for the ingredient. The Crissier school demands continuity at a high technical level. At Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, Switzerland, Frank Giovannini worked from 1995–2016 under Frédy Girardet, Philippe Rochat, and Benoît Violier, inside a kitchen culture defined by precision, restraint, and depth. The work there required attention to sauces, close reading of product character, and plates that earned their place through clarity rather than excess. Succession in a house like Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville is a craft problem as much as a career step: the kitchen has to preserve its rigor without freezing its language. Since 2016, Frank Giovannini has been Executive Chef of Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville, carrying forward the discipline and precision formed in those earlier kitchens. The role sits between inheritance and authorship, with continuity treated as active work.

Today

“I highlight it as it is, without denaturalizing it, and I try to bring out the best in it.” Ingredient-led cooking, in this sense, is not minimalism by default. In Frank Giovannini’s phrasing, the task is to clarify the product without forcing it into disguise. Technique is used to frame, focus, and sharpen what is already there; the gesture is concentration rather than accumulation. “It's my way of thinking about life. For me, everything is built around this ideal. Whether in the kitchen, in front of a product or even in the dining room with customers, I always give my best.” The same standard applies beyond the pass. At Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville, Frank Giovannini links product respect, service, and the dining room into one working ethic. Technique is not treated as separate from hospitality; the plate has to be exact, and the experience has to carry that same care.

Signature

Signature dishes include Waadtländer Rind mit Sauce Barigoule and Rouget de roche with olives. The named plates show two registers in Frank Giovannini’s cooking: Waadtländer Rind mit Sauce Barigoule gives weight and structure, while Rouget de roche with olives works from a marine product with an aromatic counterpoint. Both keep the product readable. A signature dish, in this mode, is not a fixed monument. It is a recurring test of balance, timing, and restraint. Frank Giovannini’s plates are shaped by long discipline, but the objective remains direct: flavor that is clear, composed, and recognizably tied to its source.

In Their Words “Be yourself with respect. It's my way of thinking about life. For me, everything is built around this ideal. Whether in the kitchen, in front of a product or even in the dining room with customers, I always give my best.” “My cuisine is meant to be creative, full of emotion, light and respectful of the products and their flavors.”

Recognition

Recognition in this field measures both performance under pressure and the harder work of maintaining standards over time. Frank's honors include Retained Three Michelin stars under his leadership, Chef of the Year (2018), and Bocuse de Bronze / third place (2007). Retained Three Michelin stars under his leadership speaks to continuity at Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville; Chef of the Year (2018) marks individual recognition; Bocuse de Bronze / third place (2007) records competitive achievement. Taken together, those distinctions outline a practice built around craft discipline, product respect, dining-room responsibility, and the lineage of Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville.