Exquisite dining - As you want it
Food is at the heart of everything we do at Hip Hideouts. Our chefs are some of the most qualified in the alps with years of experience in 5* hotels, michelin restaurants or super-yachts. Each chef brings their style and flair to their chalet to create unique and bespoke seasonal menus. Trained to the highest standards our chefs have the ability to cater to different cuisines and dietary requirements. They will contact you before your arrival to discuss what you would like during your stay. We like to keep our menus fresh and interesting and on the lighter side - but you decide. Our chefs serve breakfast on six mornings and dinner on six evenings. We also include champagne and canapés on an evening of your choosing.
Every year the standard of our food is getting better and better and the team for this winter is expected to be the strongest yet.
All of our chefs are experienced professionals and have worked many years in some of the top restaurants and private residences in the world. We step away from tradition and we love exploring new flavours, cultures and combinations. While many of our chefs are classically french trained we tend to deliver fresher and lighter dishes throughout the winter months. Our chefs are there to consult with, and our service is to provide you with dishes that will surprise and delight you.
our chefs
Giacomo comes to us from a prestigious background of Michelin starred restaurants, working under Javier Torres at Barcelona Sky, Tickets under Albert Adria and La Terraza del Casino under Paco Roncero which currently has two michelin stars. Specialising in pastry Giacomo has also spent time at Heart Ibiza where his focus was on modern and seasonal influences. He has many european influences with Italian cuisine being at the heart of the dishes he produces.
Greg Tostevin specialises in French fine dining. Starting his career at the 2AA Rosette La Frigate hotel in Guernsey, Greg took on positions in Verbier with a prestigious chalet company and later where he worked under Nasser Jeffane at Café Calla in Geneva. He was sought out by Ricardo Silva and moved to Paris to focus on modern fine dining and molecular cuisine under the award winning Thierry Marx.
Phil Packham is a creative and innovative chef that joined hip hideouts last winter following four winters in the flagship chalets of Scott Dunn in Val d’Isere. He was initially head chef and then took on responsibility for training and mentoring across the resort. He worked as an private chef in the UK and internationally on yachts in the mediterranean. Phil is passionate about sourcing local produce and has a strong modern British streak running through his plates.
Daniel came through the ranks in the wave of Modern British restaurants that has dominated the UK market in the last few years. Exceptional training and consistency in his dishes landed Daniel into roles as a private chef in some of the most demanding luxury ski chalets in France. His cooking reflects his strong Welsh ancestry, freshly caught fish and shellfish from the Pembrokeshire coast influence his dishes and presentation. Daniel is returning for his fifth winter in Val d’Isère.
Ben started his career at the Test Kitchen in Cape Town where the burgeoning scene is pushing boundaries in fresh plates and innovative combinations with a slant towards the sea. A stint at Soho House in Berlin gave Ben an idea of the direction he wanted to head in and he has spent the last year on a super-yacht based out of Cannes. Think fresh mediterranean flavours combinations with a South African twist.
Josh learnt his trade working under Jamie Raftery at the Michelin starred Castle Hotel in Taunton. He later set up and ran a pop up restaurant at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage HQ before launching his own creation at the Sanctuary. Josh has spent the last two winters working for the Montel family in Val d’Isere based out of their flag ship property Marco Polo. Think fresh, electric plates with a very personalised twist.
Rhys has most recently been part of the exclusive group of chefs that deliver the spectacular plates at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. The chefs grow and pick their own produce which brings seasonal cooking to a new level and awarded Raymond Blanc two Michelin stars. Prior to Le Manior, Rhys worked for Consensio ski in Meribel and the Peligoni Club in Zakynthos, Greece. Expect on point dishes and fresh ideas curbed towards seasonal produce.
Christian is one of a number of talented chefs to come out of the channel islands in recent years. Growing up working for his father’s seafood business he has spent time in a number of cool, innovative restaurants in the UK, France and Australia. Most recently Christian has been part of the creative chef team at Number 10 Jersey, a small restaurant that is delivering modern British dishes with a constantly changing seasonal menu.
Simon has Portuguese ancestry but heralds from Northern Ireland and has over 10 years experience working in some of the finest restaurants in the UK. Classically French trained, he honed his skills under Gordon Ramsey at his three star Royal Hospital Road restaurant and under Joel Robuchon at L’atellier de Joel Robuchon in Covent Garden. With a desire to return to Ireland he worked at the two rosette Crawfordsburn Inn near Belfast which won the AA Northern Ireland Hotel of the year. Think classic French flavours using locally sourced seasonal produce and modern British plating.