Guest chef · Engagements · DACH
Guest chef.
Nicolai P. Wiedmer travels regularly as a guest chef across the German-speaking region and selectively further afield. Four-hands dinners, guest-chef residencies at hotels, pop-ups, service at sea — with a small crew of his own from the Eckert, tuned to the house and the occasion.
Formats · a selection
Five variations,
one standard.
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Four-hands dinner
One evening, two kitchens. Designed with the house team, attuned to the menu, the produce and the guests — not two menus side by side, but a single one, thought through together.
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Guest-chef residency at a hotel
A week or several on site, with a small crew of my own. Embedded in the rhythm of the house, open to in-house guests and external occasions. For hotels that want to give their F&B line a distinct accent.
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Pop-up and brand occasion
A one-off staging in an unusual place — a showroom, a gallery, a private residence, a former industrial site. Menu, service and atmosphere all of a piece.
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Service at sea
Several dinner services on expedition or yacht itineraries. Logistics, sourcing and crew briefing are coordinated closely — a galley is a discipline of its own.
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JRE and association formats
Appearances within Jeunes Restaurateurs International or comparable bodies — four-hands dinners, galas and teaching formats for young crews.
Process · six steps
From the inquiry
to the debrief.
A guest-chef engagement isn’t a show; it’s a service with a run-up. The steps below are the ones that have held up over the years — they can shift with the house and the occasion.
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Inquiry
A first clarification of occasion, format, date and scale. In writing, by email or via the form.
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Concept alignment
A conversation about the stance of the house, the guest situation, the produce and the line of the evening. A site visit where it helps.
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Menu draft
Drafted with the hosting team. Seasonality, allergies, wine and beverage pairings are considered early on.
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Mise en place
Preparation on site, typically two days ahead of service. The visiting crew works alongside the house team, not in parallel to it.
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Service
The service day or days. Clear roles, a calm pass, no theatrics beyond what the evening actually calls for.
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Debrief
A short review with the house — what worked, what we would repeat. Not a sales call.
Engagements · documented
Five houses,
five occasions.
A selection of past engagements — hotels, a resort, a ship, a restaurant in Asia. Each had its own frame; taken together they give a sense of the contexts in which this format finds its place.
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Diamonds Resorts
Guest residency with own team
A resort residency in the Indian Ocean — one week, with my own team in tow, embedded in the resort service. Logistics and sourcing were the real undertaking; the cooking came after.
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Swan Hellenic — expedition fleet
Four dinner services on board
Four dinner services on an expedition route. A galley is a discipline of its own: tight rooms, pre-calculated supply flows, service in waves. Little room for improvisation, a great deal of precision.
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Restaurant Curate, Sentosa
Four-hands dinner
A four-hands dinner at Curate on Sentosa, Singapore — developed with the resident kitchen. Asian produce, European technique, an evening cooked as one hand.
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Huus Hotel Gstaad
Guest-chef residency
A residency at Huus Gstaad — a Bernese Oberland house with a clear line of its own. The weeks on site played high-alpine produce against our own aromatic register.
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Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa
Two-week guest-chef residency
Two weeks at Brenners — a house with a long history of its own. Early in his career, the residency set an important benchmark: a starred house making room for a young hand.
Frame
Three months, minimum.
For multi-day residencies that travel with a crew, six months is the realistic figure. Service weekends at the Eckert come first.
DACH regularly, international selectively.
The focus lies in the German-speaking region. International engagements when the fit is clear — past stations include Singapore, Gstaad and the Maldives.
German · English.
Service briefings, crew communication and guest address in either German or English.
Upcoming Engagements
Where Nicolai is
cooking next.
A preview of confirmed guest-chef residencies and appearances in the months ahead. For your own house or occasion, please use the enquiry form.
Colmar market, Colmar
Tarte flambée pop-up · three Michelin chefs & DJ
With two fellow Michelin-starred chefs and a DJ — each cooking his own tarte flambée creation.
MS Europa · Europas Beste, Hamburg
Guest-chef appearance
With his teacher Tanja Grandits — appearing as her assistant, a nod to his apprenticeship at Stucki, Basel.
River cruise · on board, Austria
Guest chef on board
Das Eckert, Grenzach-Wyhlen
Nic & Friends Kitchen Party
Bürgenstock Resort, Bürgenstock
Kitchen Party
Restaurant Zeik · with Maurizio Oster, Hamburg
Four-hands dinner
Frequently asked
How does a guest-chef engagement with Nicolai Wiedmer unfold?
In six steps: inquiry, concept alignment with the house, menu draft, mise en place on site (typically two days ahead), service and a short debrief. The visiting crew works alongside the house team, not in parallel to it.
How much lead time does a guest-chef invitation need?
As a rule, three months at the very least. Weekend and seasonal dates at the Eckert take precedence; a realistic inquiry horizon is closer to six months — especially for multi-day residencies that travel with a crew.
Does Nicolai Wiedmer travel internationally?
Yes, regularly — engagements to date include Singapore, Gstaad, the Maldives and aboard the Swan Hellenic. Working languages: German and English.
Which guest-chef formats does Nicolai Wiedmer offer?
Four-hands dinners, guest-chef residencies at hotels, pop-ups in unusual locations, service at sea, and JRE or association formats. Each has its own conditions — what matters is that house and occasion fit one another.
Does Nicolai bring a crew of his own?
Depending on the format, a small crew of his own — usually two to four cooks from the Eckert team. For shorter formats, a sous-chef plus the house team is enough.
What is the minimum guest count?
Economically, formats from around 20 to 40 guests upwards tend to be viable — depending on scope, duration and travel. Intimate private formats are handled case by case.
Inquiry
An occasion in mind?
A short email with the occasion, the format you have in mind, a date and a sense of scale is enough. Inquiries are usually answered personally within two working days.
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