After almost a decade with Ossiano, award-winning chef Grégoire Berger will leave the restaurant at Atlantis The Palm to focus on a new, soon-to-be-announced project.
In his time as head chef of the iconic underwater restaurant, Berger has been at the front of the UAE’s charge for culinary innovation, leading the kitchen and crafting menus that have helped keep Ossiano at the forefront of international progressive fine dining.
Awarded four toques by Gault&Millau this year and recipient of the Chef of the Year Award in 2022, Ossiano and Berger created one of Dubai’s most theatrical fine-dining experiences and, as noted by Gault&Millau in the 2024 review, “perhaps the only restaurant in the city with as much emphasis on storytelling as technique and produce.”
Commenting on the departure, Atlantis said, “We would like to express our thanks and well wishes to one of our leading homegrown chefs, Grégoire Berger, who will soon depart to embark on a new chapter. Grégoire has been an invaluable culinary team member, and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow and achieve great successes over the years.”
Atlantis The Palm, home to Hakkasan, Nobu, Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, Ayamna, Seafire Steakhouse & Bar, En Fuego and the newly launched FZN by Björn Frantzén, brings together some of the most famous chefs and restaurants from around the world.
For nearly a decade, Berger and Ossiano have been vital members of this restaurant family, achieving numerous awards and accolades along the way and collaborating with high-profile international chefs, from Alex Atala and Hermanos Torres to a four-hands dinner with Junghyun Park from Atomix in New York only this week.
Atlantis confirmed with Gault&Millau that Berger will remain at the helm of Ossiano until the end of 2024, after which the hotel welcomes guests to “experience the next phase of Ossiano”. They said, “We will miss Grégoire’s creativity, passion, and drive to push himself and the team to new heights.”
Commenting on his departure, Berger himself said, “The time has come for me to begin a new chapter. Later this year, I’ll be stepping away from Ossiano to spend time with my family and start working on my new project. I want to express my appreciation to Atlantis Dubai for their unwavering support, as well as to my incredible team and colleagues, past and present. Special thanks to my right hand, Aurelien Durand, and the entire culinary community, whose contributions have been integral to our success at Ossiano.”
The next stage in Berger’s professional journey has not yet been disclosed, but expect him to continue to push culinary boundaries. Gault&Millau have witnessed his evolution at Ossiano, with menus shifting and adapting with the seasons and to reflect his own experiences. As such, Berger’s cooking has always been deeply personal and rooted in a romanticism for travel and the world around him.
Berger concluded, “As I step away, I do so with great pride in all that we have achieved together, and I wish everyone continued success in the future. I look forward to sharing what’s next in the months ahead.”
Read the Gault&Millau 2024 review of Ossiano, here