New exec chef and CDC join St. Regis Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi

Two new chefs have joined The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi.

Olivier Belliard is the executive chef who will oversee all F&B outlets at the five-star hotel, while Ramasawmy Jayada has been hired as chef de cuisine at fine-dining steakhouse 55&5th, The Grill.

Belliard has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and Normandy, as well as five-star hotels around the world, including The St. Regis San Francisco and The St. Regis Mauritius. Born in France, he has two decades of experience in the culinary field, plus a master’s degree in hospitality management from New York’s Cornell University.Early chef de partie positions included working underneath two-time Michelin-starred chefs Michel Rostang, Éric Fréchon, and Nicolas Le Bec, while at Hôtel Le Bristol and Hôtel Warwick, both in Paris, and Les Fermes des Marie, in the Alpine resort of Megève. He later became executive chef at Paris restaurant L’Ambroisie, which has won three Michelin stars. 

Belliard joins Marriott International from Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa, Mauritius, where he was executive chef. He has previously worked in the Middle East and North Africa, including in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where he served on the pre-opening teams of Le Méridien Dahab Resort and Park Hyatt Jeddah – Marina, Club & Spa respectively.

"There are many things happening. Early next year, we will revamp the menu at 55&5th, The Grill and create some new dishes for Sontaya, without deviating from its successful Thai-Chinese fusion style,” he said, in a statement.

Belliard has plans to update the theme nights at Mediterranean venue Oléa, and also has plans for The Drawing Room, located in the hotel lobby.

Like Belliard, chef de cuisine Ramasawmy Jayada moved to Abu Dhabi from Mauritius, where he was born. He joined The St. Regis from a five-star golfing resort in the country, and has also previously worked in the GCC across a St. Regis and W Hotels property in the region.