Our Team

General Manager

Lavinia was born in Milan but grew up in Ticino. After studying at the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland, she worked in both Lugano and Barcelona, eventually supervising the 2 Michelin-starred restaurant MOments at Mandarin Oriental. In 2020, she actively participated in the opening of Café de La Plage inside the Geneva Opera House, managing it successfully for three years. Seeking to explore the corporate world, she worked at Migros Genève for almost a year, overseeing two different restaurants. Never completely fulfilled and always eager to contribute more to society, she joined the Refettorio team as General Manager in early 2024, determined to help those in need and make a positive impact!

Community Officer

Nico was born in Geneva and grew up between Switzerland and California. Originally studying Fine Arts and Art History, he began working in restaurants in Paris and quickly developed a passion for wine and food. Subsequently, he further explored the world of wine, particularly immersing himself in the vibrant realmof natural wines.

An active staff member at Refettorio since February 2022, Nico has taken on thesignificant responsibility of overseeing the evening service as Mater Fondazione’s Community Officer. He is eager to provide genuine help and solutions to anyone in need and will strive to warmly welcome our cherished beneficiaries.

Head Chef

Walter was born in Milan in 1981, from an Egyptian father and an Italian mother, both restaurateurs. Creative and self-taught in the kitchen, in 2008 he travelled to Los Angeles where he fell in love with Latin American cuisine, and set up his own restaurant, ‘The Barbershop’. In 2016 he embarked on a one-year culinary world tour: Barcelona, Ibiza, Moscow, Tulum and finally Singapore, where he imported his concept of pop-up restaurant, based on what he had learnt in Los Angeles. After a final stop in Dubai, he decided the time had come to settle down; this is how he ended up in Geneva, in 2017.

After a few months heading up the ‘Fiskebar’ restaurant at the Hôtel de la Paix, he opened his own restaurant, ‘Le Cinquième Jour’ – a restaurant enriched with a strong concept of social inclusion: on Saturdays the kitchen brigade cooked for free, for disadvantaged people, refugees, the homeless or even teenagers with nowhere to go. Committed, as ever, to gastronomy as well as to social issues, Walter founded Fondazione MATER in 2020.

Sous-chef

Ruslan's path to culinary mastery is a tale of global exploration, it began with five dedicated years at Kazan State Technological University, where he pursued a chemistry major specializing in polymer production. Following this, a three-year stint in the USA broadened his horizons. Upon returning home, he transitioned into a prosperous role as a project manager at Fujitsu IT company, marking a significant chapter in his career journey.

In 2015, his path veered toward Italy, where he dedicated a year to mastering the culinary craft, primarily in the regions of Tuscany and Alto-Adige. His triumph in the San Pellegrino Best Young Chef competition propelled him onto the international stage, representing Russia in Milan in 2018.

Contributing to Saint-Pétersbourg’s acclaimed “Harvest” restaurant as a Sous-chef earned him recognition with the coveted 50 Best Restaurants award by San Pellegrino in 2019.

Ruslan’s culinary narrative continued with the birth of “Jela” in Odessa, Ukraine. In 2021, Ruslan and his partner unveiled “Jela” celebrating the essence of wood-fired oven cuisine paired with an extensive selection of natural wines.

A move to Geneva in 2022 led to Ruslan’s integration into the Refettorio team by 2023, where his culinary expertise converges with a noble mission of Refettorio project.

Cook

For Lyes, food is political. Graduated in culinary arts from Ferrandi Paris, his professional journey revolves around plant-based and eco-friendly cuisine: Paris, Brussels, Giverny, and then New York, where he works for a year at Eleven Madison Park, the world's only vegan restaurant with three Michelin stars.

In parallel, he engages in solidarity projects. During the pandemic, he lends a helping hand to the Brigades de Solidarité Populaire and prepares meals in the Pâquis temple in Geneva and in the 11th arrondissement in Paris. Then, the Ernest association gives him the opportunity to be a resident chef at the Sample in Bagnolet to participate in funding a food aid project in the same neighborhood.

Upon learning of the opening of a Refettorio in his hometown of Charmilles, Lyes joins the project to make its contribution.

Cook

Born in Geneva to restaurant-owner parents, Luca has always been immersed in gastronomy.

Having graduated in Culinary Arts at Ecole Hôtellière de Genève, it was after various experiences in Switzerland, England, and Italy that he decided to return to Geneva to open his first restaurant in 2013: “Le Décanteur”, well known for its wines and transalpine cuisine.

In 2020, he became an ambassador for Geneva's local terroir on the Léman Bleu television channel, where he highlights farmers, winemakers, chefs, and other local artisans in his shows.

He joined the Refettorio team to feed his passion while exploring new horizons.

Waitress

Giorgia was born in Como, Italy. She has always wanted to build her life and identity by traveling to different countries and cultures. After working in Italy, she gathered her courage and set off for Geneva. She started to work in hospitality to practice the language and meet many local people. She is glad to have been able to start this adventure in Refettorio, focused on good deeds and charity, where the emphasis is on everyone, without discrimination and without exclusion.

Steward

Cleyder, originally from Bolivia, has been residing and working in Geneva for over 20 years. With an extensive background in hospitality, he has been alongside Chef Walter El Nagar since the opening of Le Cinquième Jour, showcasing his dedication and commitment to the culinary industry.

Cultural mediator

Farid, born in Baghdad, Afghanistan, arrives in Italy in 2007. From 2009 to 2010, he collaborates with the association CIES-ONLUS in Rome, a center for cultural information and development, on the Peer Educator project. Over the next ten years, he works as a cultural and linguistic mediator in reception centers for asylum seekers and political refugees.

Secrétaire Générale at Fondation de Bienfaisance Pierre & Andrée Haas

Director of Genève Plage

Entrepreneur