Background

Beyond the bustle of Kenya’s most cosmopolitan metropolis, experience a haven of elegance and calm nestled among lush gardens at the edge of Nairobi’s Central Park. Our Nairobi hotel merges business and leisure, art and gastronomy and five-star style and service.

Job Purpose

Nairobi Serena Hotel is seeking an experienced, creative, and quality-focused Chef de Cuisine to lead the culinary operations of our Mediterranean restaurant. The successful candidate will design and execute an authentic, innovative, and commercially viable menu while ensuring consistency, quality, cost control, food safety, and an exceptional guest dining experience.

The role requires strong, demonstrable expertise in the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean basin, particularly Southern European cuisines - including Italian, Greek, Spanish, and southern French and Eastern and Southern Mediterranean cuisines, including Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Moroccan, Tunisian and Egyptian. Prior hands-on experience preparing and leading menus across these cuisines is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day culinary operations of the Mediterranean restaurant kitchen, ensuring an efficient workflow, high productivity, and excellent service delivery.
• Design, develop, and implement authentic Mediterranean menus that demonstrate creativity, seasonality, commercial viability, and respect for the featured culinary traditions.
• Prepare, standardize, and maintain detailed recipes, including ingredients, methods of preparation, portion sizes, plating standards, allergen information, and yield controls.
• Conduct accurate food costing for all menu items and work closely with the Executive Chef and Cost Controller to maintain approved food cost targets.
• Ensure consistent quality, taste, presentation, portioning, and temperature of all dishes served from the restaurant’s kitchen.
• Carry out regular quality checks on raw ingredients, mise en place, cooked products, à la carte items, and final plate presentation.
• Train, coach, supervise, and motivate the kitchen team in Mediterranean cooking techniques, food safety, hygiene, presentation standards, and service expectations.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, sanitation, cleanliness, and storage in line with Nairobi Serena Hotel’s policies and applicable public health regulations.
• Monitor stock levels and ensure the proper use, storage, rotation, and control of ingredients, particularly specialty Mediterranean products.
• Work collaboratively with service teams to ensure menu knowledge, smooth guest communication, and prompt resolution of guest feedback relating to food quality or presentation.
• Introduce creative chef’s specials, tasting menus, promotions, and culinary concepts that enhance the restaurant’s reputation and guest experience.
• Ensure kitchen equipment is used properly, maintained in good working condition, and reported promptly when repairs or replacements are required.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Professional training in Culinary Arts, Hotel Management, or Food Production.
• At least 3–5 years’ experience as a Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef or Specialty Chef, in a reputable Mediterranean restaurant or comparable luxury hotel operation.
• Proven hands-on experience preparing authentic dishes from several Mediterranean culinary traditions, particularly Italian, Greek, Spanish, or southern French, Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Moroccan, Tunisian, and Egyptian cuisines.
• Excellent knowledge of Mediterranean ingredients and techniques, including olive oil cookery, grains, legumes, breads, mezze, pasta, rice dishes, seafood, grilled meats, vegetables, herbs, spices, marinades, sauces, and traditional desserts.
• Demonstrated experience in menu design, menu engineering, recipe writing, costing, portion control, and quality assurance.
• Strong leadership, organizational, planning, training, and team management skills.
• Good understanding of food hygiene, HACCP principles, kitchen safety, stock control, and waste management.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Proven commercial awareness especially in food costing and cost control.

• Lead the day-to-day culinary operations of the Mediterranean restaurant kitchen, ensuring an efficient workflow, high productivity, and excellent service delivery.
• Design, develop, and implement authentic Mediterranean menus that demonstrate creativity, seasonality, commercial viability, and respect for the featured culinary traditions.
• Prepare, standardize, and maintain detailed recipes, including ingredients, methods of preparation, portion sizes, plating standards, allergen information, and yield controls.
• Conduct accurate food costing for all menu items and work closely with the Executive Chef and Cost Controller to maintain approved food cost targets.
• Ensure consistent quality, taste, presentation, portioning, and temperature of all dishes served from the restaurant’s kitchen.
• Carry out regular quality checks on raw ingredients, mise en place, cooked products, à la carte items, and final plate presentation.
• Train, coach, supervise, and motivate the kitchen team in Mediterranean cooking techniques, food safety, hygiene, presentation standards, and service expectations.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, sanitation, cleanliness, and storage in line with Nairobi Serena Hotel’s policies and applicable public health regulations.
• Monitor stock levels and ensure the proper use, storage, rotation, and control of ingredients, particularly specialty Mediterranean products.
• Work collaboratively with service teams to ensure menu knowledge, smooth guest communication, and prompt resolution of guest feedback relating to food quality or presentation.
• Introduce creative chef’s specials, tasting menus, promotions, and culinary concepts that enhance the restaurant’s reputation and guest experience.
• Ensure kitchen equipment is used properly, maintained in good working condition, and reported promptly when repairs or replacements are required.

• Mediterranean cooking techniques
• Food safety
• Hygiene
• Presentation standards
• Service expectations
• Menu design
• Menu engineering
• Recipe writing
• Costing
• Portion control
• Quality assurance
• Leadership
• Organizational skills
• Planning skills
• Training skills
• Team management skills
• Food hygiene
• HACCP principles
• Kitchen safety
• Stock control
• Waste management
• Communication skills
• Commercial awareness
• Food costing
• Cost control

• Professional training in Culinary Arts, Hotel Management, or Food Production.
• At least 3–5 years’ experience as a Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef or Specialty Chef, in a reputable Mediterranean restaurant or comparable luxury hotel operation.
• Proven hands-on experience preparing authentic dishes from several Mediterranean culinary traditions, particularly Italian, Greek, Spanish, or southern French, Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Moroccan, Tunisian, and Egyptian cuisines.
• Excellent knowledge of Mediterranean ingredients and techniques, including olive oil cookery, grains, legumes, breads, mezze, pasta, rice dishes, seafood, grilled meats, vegetables, herbs, spices, marinades, sauces, and traditional desserts.
• Demonstrated experience in menu design, menu engineering, recipe writing, costing, portion control, and quality assurance.
• Strong leadership, organizational, planning, training, and team management skills.
• Good understanding of food hygiene, HACCP principles, kitchen safety, stock control, and waste management.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Proven commercial awareness especially in food costing and cost control.