Executive Chef & Proprietor,
Bernard Althaus

Following in the footsteps of his parents, who owned and operated Restaurant de La Gare, a Hotel-Restaurant in Faoug (a small town in the French-influenced part of Switzerland,) Bernard says that his desire to become a chef came the day he was born; "I was born in one of the rooms above the family restaurant. My first smell was that of food. It has been in my blood to become a chef since the day I was born." 

Born and raised west of the Alps, Althaus brings an earnest French/Swiss sensibility to his cuisine.

Educated in Lausanne, he then served his apprenticeship at Restaurant Le Chalet Suisse, before coming to the U.S. where he served as head chef for the French Sailing team of the 1970 America's Cup. He then continued this journey as a private chef on charters in the Caribbean before returning to Switzerland to start a family. 

In 1990, Bernard and wife Arlette, along with their two children, came to Newport Beach for a wedding and plans of traveling the U.S. for a year. Like many, they found the combination of beautiful weather, the Pacific Ocean, and nearby access to skiing irresistible and decided to make California their new home. 

Back in Southern California, Althaus began cooking alongside fellow Swiss, Ernst Zingg, at The Cellar in Fullerton, spent almost two years at Newport Beach's Pascal Restaurant, then over five years at Mezzanine At The Towers in Irvine before opening Basilic Restaurant on Balboa Island in 1997.

Althaus has since been spending most of his time perfecting his exquisite dishes and pleasing his clientele five nights a week. At home he and Arlette harvest their organic garden to produce the fresh herbs used in most dishes (the name Basilic is the French word for basil- Althaus' favorite go-to herb for seasoning) and growing an array of vegetables served at the restaurant.  

Today, Bernard splits his time between the kitchen, where he ensures every dish is crafted to perfection, and the dining room, where he frequently greets guests and catches up with regulars. In his downtime, he finds joy in exploring new backcountry skiing and hiking trails, tending to his garden, and spending quality time with his family.