Chef Imanol Vena

I was born in Buenos Aires in 1991, grew up in Turin, and later moved to the Netherlands. Living across these different cultures gave me a massive appreciation for how food connects people, and a constant drive to look for new techniques while respecting old culinary traditions.

My path started from scratch back in Italy, in the kitchen of my family’s Argentinian restaurant out in the Monferrato hills. That was my baseline for learning hard kitchen discipline, long hours, and honest hospitality. After working around the restaurant scene in Turin, I actually took a detour to study design. That creative background completely changed how I look at food today; it trained my eye to see a plate as a visual canvas where colors, structures, and textures have to balance out perfectly.

When I moved to the Netherlands, I brought that mix of design and heritage into some of Amsterdam's top luxury hotel kitchens. I spent years sharpening my execution and working at the highest standard at Flore inside the Hotel De L’Europe, Jansz at the Pulitzer Hotel, and the Anantara Krasnapolsky on Dam Square. Transitioning into private cheffing allowed me to bring all these pieces together. Whether I'm building a fresh, high-energy menu or a relaxed family dinner, my goal is to give a memorable experience to my hosts.