Marco Ortolani

The Climb

Marco Ortolani trained at CAST Alimenti before moving into some of London’s most exacting kitchens. He worked as Chef de partie at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, then as sous chef at 5 Hertford Street in London, and later as chef at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester in London. Today, Marco is chef of Eden Kitchen & Bar, La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich (since 2019), where his path from rigorous training to polished leadership comes into full view.

Today

In Zürich, Ortolani serves as Executive Chef at La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich, where his work at Eden Kitchen & Bar is described as creative, upscale and surprising, without the rigidity of fine dining — a useful key to his cooking because it allows both polish and movement. Seasonality is central to how he cooks in Zürich. "I don’t really have a favorite ingredient; I like using the best and freshest products respecting the seasons and the territory." That sentence explains much of the restaurant’s rhythm: the product comes first, but not in isolation from place. Local seasonal produce drives the kitchen, while Ortolani’s Italian roots shape the cuisine. One dish gives that approach a clear form: Pâtes à la carbonara. It is the plate most specifically associated with him, and Gault Millau says he leaves nothing to chance with it. Carbonara can look simple from a distance; in his hands, its demands are closer to a test of attention — proportion, heat, timing, texture, and the confidence to stop at the right moment.

In Their Words “I don’t really have a favorite ingredient; I like using the best and freshest products respecting the seasons and the territory.” “It has the same first three letters—art—but the meaning is completely different.”

Recognition

The clearest public recognition attached to Ortolani’s work centers on that carbonara. Gault Millau’s note that he leaves nothing to chance is telling because it does not praise excess; it notices control. That distinction fits a chef whose stated idea of artisanship begins with the hands. His work in Zürich brings together Italian roots, local seasonal produce and a kitchen style that is creative, upscale and surprising, without the rigidity of fine dining.