A career built on the love for her roots and the desire to introduce Beninese gastronomy to the world from a different perspective. Georgiana Viou, named Grand de Demain by the Gault & Millau guide, opened several establishments before the renowned “ROUGE,” which was awarded a MICHELIN Star in 2023.
Georgiana Viou was born in 1977 in Cotonou, in the Republic of Benin, but at 22, dreaming of becoming an interpreter, she arrived in Paris, at the Sorbonne University, to study languages. However, the call of her great passion, cooking, echoed in her heart.
After moving to Marseille, following a job in a communication agency, she began participating in various culinary competitions, including Taittinger Cordons Bleus and MasterChef, a television program where she reached the finals. Before her, the doors of renowned Provençal and Parisian kitchens, such as “Villa Khariessa”, “Itineraries” and “Maison Kaiseki”, opened up.
In 2011, armed with the experience gained, Georgiana set out on her own starting “L'Atelier de Georgiana,” then “Chez Georgiana” and “La Piscine” where she offered Mediterranean cuisine with Beninese touches. Her talent did not go unnoticed: the Gault & Millau guide awarded her two hats and named her among the Young Talents 2015.
Six years later, in 2021, Georgiana opened “ROUGE” in collaboration with Denis Allegrini, also from Benin, a restaurant and bar of the “Margaret Hôtel Chouleur” in Nîmes. Here, she received the prestigious Grand de Demain award from Gault & Millau and, in 2023, a MICHELIN Star. The restaurant tells two stories: that of Benin and that of the Costières region, a fertile land of vineyards and orchards. The vibrant red (rouge) reflects the city of Nîmes, embodying its emblem and the rich local culinary heritage, and the flag of Benin.
Georgiana is not only a chef but also an author: she published “Ma Cuisine de Marsiglia” in 2011 and “Il gusto di Cotonou. La mia cucina del Benin” in 2021, celebrating Mediterranean cuisine with the warmth of Benin, in a harmony of recipes inherited from her grandmother Georgette and her mother Romaine.
Cover Photo: @HeleneJayet
