Chef de Cuisine – Mediterranean Restaurant

About the role

Serena Hotel in Nairobi is seeking an experienced Chef de Cuisine to lead the culinary operations of its Mediterranean restaurant. The role focuses on creating authentic, innovative menus while ensuring quality, cost control, and an exceptional guest experience.

Key responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day kitchen operations, maintaining efficient workflow and high productivity.
• Design, develop and implement authentic Mediterranean menus that are creative, seasonal and commercially viable.
• Prepare detailed recipes with portion sizes, plating standards, allergen information and yield controls.
• Conduct food costing for all menu items and collaborate with the Executive Chef and Cost Controller to meet cost targets.
• Ensure consistent quality, taste, presentation and temperature of all dishes.
• Train, coach and motivate kitchen staff in Mediterranean cooking techniques, food safety and hygiene standards.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, sanitation and storage in line with hotel policies and public health regulations.
• Monitor stock levels, manage storage and rotation of specialty Mediterranean ingredients.

Required profile

• Professional training in Culinary Arts, Hotel Management or Food Production.
• 3‑5 years’ experience as Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef or Specialty Chef in a reputable Mediterranean restaurant or luxury hotel.
• Hands‑on experience preparing authentic dishes from Italian, Greek, Spanish, French, Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Moroccan, Tunisian and Egyptian cuisines.
• Strong knowledge of Mediterranean ingredients and techniques, including olive‑oil cookery, grains, legumes, breads, mezze, pasta, rice dishes, seafood, grilled meats, vegetables, herbs, spices, sauces and traditional desserts.
• Proven ability in menu design, recipe writing, costing, portion control and quality assurance.
• Leadership, organizational and team‑management skills.
• Good understanding of HACCP principles, kitchen safety, stock control and waste management.
• Fluent communication in English, both spoken and written.

Required skills

• Menu design and engineering
• Recipe writing
• Food costing and cost control
• HACCP and food safety compliance