Andrea Messina
Chef of Il Lago
Four Seasons Tenure
- Since 2024
- First Four Seasons Position: Sous Chef, Il Lago, Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva
Employment History
- Hotel de Paris Saint-Tropez, France; Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, Paris; Hotel Burj al Arab, Dubai; Hotel Capri Palace, Jumeirah, Dubai; Restaurant Mori Venice; Hôtel Hyatt Paris, France; Hotel Badrutt’s Palace, St. Moritz, Switzerland; Restaurant del Cambio, Turin, Italy; Restaurant Il Marchesino, Milan
Birthplace
- Turin, Italy
Education
- Diploma, Hospitality Management, Istituto Giolitti Torino, Italy
Languages spoken
- Italian, French, a bit of English
It took a lifetime of mastering culinary arts for Andrea Messina to earn his leadership position in the kitchen of Il Lago at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva. “The restaurant pairs refined cuisine with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere, attracting a diverse clientele that ranges from business guests to discerning local and international diners and our goal is to create memorable dining experiences that are both sophisticated and approachable.” he says of his role as Chef de Cuisine of the Hotel’s signature Michelin-starred dining experience. “I’m thrilled to be working closely with our Restaurant Manager, and to have creative freedom to match dishes to the seasons and put my personality on the menu.”
That personality is especially noticeable in Andrea’s take on Il Lago’s legendary risotto, which he prepares smoked with a broth of veal. Similarly, he uses creative twists on tomatoes imported from his home region of Piedmont, Italy, draws on his experience at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris to barbeque langoustine on the grill with zucchinis, and fashions sea bass with capers to give it Mediterranean flare.
Which begs the question: Is the Hotel’s famed Italian restaurant still Italian? “Oh, yes,” he replies, emphatically and with a laugh. “Il Lago is 100 percent Italian. I’ve just brought in some new techniques and different ways of working in the kitchen.”
Andrea doesn’t keep those techniques to himself. Managing a team of 27, he strives to connect with everyone while keeping the energy of the back of the house calm, especially during daily rushes when the dining room is brimming with guests. “I am all about being one with the team, and I never miss a day as part of the service,” he says, adding that providing support is the best route to motivating team members, growing their careers, and earning their respect.
Hailing from the city centre of Turin, the capital of Piedmont, Andrea grew up with an appetite for all things culinary. He was heavily influenced by his parents, who shared a passion for cooking together and invited him along. “Like so many Italian families, we always went to street markets on Saturdays and spent Sundays preparing dinner.”
Those streets were lined not just with picks of local products, but also grand hotels and restaurants, offering Andrea an early glimpse of hospitality in action.
While his mother provided “eighty percent of the knowhow” he now carries into the kitchen at Il Lago, the remainder came from his studies in hospitality management and work with Michelin-starred chefs who guided his career. Chief among them was Gualtiero Marchesi, the originator of Italian nouvelle cuisine and first Italian chef with three stars from Michelin. Andrea worked alongside him at Restaurant Il Marchesino in Milan. “It was early in my career, but I could tell right away he really knew his way around the kitchen and how to teach it.”
Andrea went on to hone his skills over eight years in Paris and a fruitful year in Dubai, where he grew his culinary knowledge beyond Italian cuisine and advanced to sous chef at a sail-shaped hotel off the coast.
After another turn at a property overlooking the Mediterranean from St. Tropez, Andrea joined Il Lago as a Sous Chef in 2024 and was promoted to Chef de Cuisine in 2026. Inherent in his leadership of the kitchen, he oversees the sourcing of ingredients primarily from Swiss suppliers, secures seafood from fishmongers from France, and keeps Il Lago’s menu lively to match the sparkling atmosphere of the dining room.
“There are a lot of challenges to creating a dining experience like Il Lago. But when our team comes together, everything clicks,” he concludes. “It’s very satisfying – for us and Four Seasons guests.”
