Capucine Gougenheim Geagea
Dining at the Hôtel Royal d’Evian Resort: A New Chapter with Chef Yohan Fatela
March 2026. The Hôtel Royal opens a new chapter in its culinary history with the appointment of Chef Yohan Fatela as executive chef. This appointment builds on a tradition where fine dining plays a central role in the establishment’s identity.
For more than twenty years, Chef Patrice Vander shaped the culinary soul of the establishment and contributed to the reputation of the Michelin-starred restaurant “Les Fresques.” His work has firmly established the Hôtel Royal in the French culinary landscape.
Yohan Fatela, a traveling chef who trained in France under Pierre Gagnaire and spent time at La Bastide de Gordes
Trained at leading international establishments, Yohan Fatela embodies a new generation of chefs from the luxury hospitality industry. At age 19, he moved to Scotland before returning to France, settling in Grenoble. His career then took on an international dimension within the Shangri-La Group, taking him across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In Beijing, he became executive chef at the Sofitel at just 24 years old, orchestrating diplomatic dinners for heads of state and international delegations.
Upon returning to France, he joined the Hôtel Majestic in Cannes alongside Pierre Gagnaire, and notably participated in the grand dinners of the Cannes Film Festival. At age 29, he was appointed executive chef at La Bastide de Gordes, where he established a precise, structured, and contemporary signature style.
Photo © Le Bon Jour
French cuisine that showcases the ingredients
At the Hôtel Royal, his mission has two main focuses. The first is to maintain the high standards of the Michelin-starred restaurant “Les Fresques” by continuing to offer contemporary French cuisine rooted in quality ingredients.
The second: to structure and harmonize the establishment’s entire culinary offering, from La Véranda to L’Oliveraie, including the bar and breakfast service. The gourmet restaurant remains a cornerstone, but the challenge also lies in overall consistency: restaurants, breakfast, service, and rhythm. Everything that, in practical terms, makes up the daily life of a luxury hotel.
In this approach, the 3,000-square-meter Royal Vegetable Garden located in the heart of the park becomes a central feature.
Cultivated using traditional methods inspired by permaculture, it supplies the kitchens in tune with the seasons and ensures that the selected produce is locally sourced and in harmony with the seasons. The Royal Hotel also has beehives and produces its own honey
Yohan Fatela’s cuisine is based on four guiding principles: emotion, precision, controlled simplicity, and the memory of the moment.
A vision that prioritizes precision of flavor and perfect cooking, without unnecessary showmanship
“It is with great respect that I join an establishment with such a rich history. The goal is to offer French cuisine that is accessible, convivial, and rooted in its time,” he explains.
Plume's experience at the Fresques dinner
That evening, aperitifs are served in the spacious, comfortable lounges, where guests can enjoy house-made cocktails crafted by Davide Trupia and his team.
The Gin Royal is served in a large balloon glass, crafted with exceptional ingredients: first, the house gin made with verbena from the garden, combined with green cardamom, cilantro, and citrus zest by Davide Trupia, distilled by Altitude Gin, and served with Archibald’s La Bergamote tonic. It’s a pleasant moment, settled into deep armchairs, in front of a row of large drapes that, artfully arranged, create a sort of stage set to be seen… or not, and behind which the circular bar stands out beneath a majestic chandelier sparkling with a thousand dancing pendants in the soft light.
Once the aperitifs are finished, dinner follows at Les Fresques, crossing the hall beneath the dome decorated with the 12 signs of the zodiac.
After the appetizers, beautifully presented on small tiered wooden trays, crayfish and perch fillets from the lake whet the appetite before the tender Bresse chicken, cooked to perfection; the dishes are served with wines from Savoie, L’Echappée from the Domaine de L’Arbessieux, made from an “old Alpine grape variety of which only a few hectares remain in France,” Les Garennes, Crozes Hermitage from the Domaine Les Alexandrins, selected by an enthusiastic young sommelier, followed by the cheese ritual.
The cheese cart is a spectacle in itself, presented under a cloche, featuring a selection of regional and Swiss cheeses, such as Suprême des Alpes—a sort of Parmesan—a Brillat Savarin that melts perfectly, and a 43-month-old Comté. As for Clément Pouillote’s desserts, they hold major surprises that lift spirits and loosen tongues.
To round out the experience, herbal infusions made from plants harvested in the garden are a must under the restaurant’s summer frescoes, which can be admired via a mirror attached to the menu—a playful nod from the house to highlight the restaurant’s architectural treasure.
Les Fresques
Hôtel Royal
960 Avenue du Léman, 74500 Neuvecelle
Photos © Edouard Guibaud, © Guillaume de Laubier, © Pascal Reynaud, © Anne Moscatello, © Nicolas Jacquemin, © Jérôme Mondière, © Capucine Plume
