Bernard Guillas

Guillas is responsible for directing the resort’s three restaurants and all catering operations for the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, The Shores Restaurant at the Sea Lodge Hotel, and the landmark Marine Room restaurant.  As executive chef, Guillas oversees all menus, wine lists, and special events.

Guillas, no stranger to classic tradition, insists, “a good cook is a sorcerer who dispenses happiness on a plate.”  Born into a family of butchers, bakers, and restaurateurs, Guillas’ Britannic upbringing was influenced by his daily exposure to fine cuisine.  He began his formal training in 1978, at La Bretagne in Questembert, France, where he apprenticed with legendary Georges Paineau.  Over the next six years he expanded his culinary knowledge with several Maitres Cuisinier de France fine dining restaurants. Guillas then moved on to become chef de cuisine at Le Dolmen in French Guyana. 

In 1984, Guillas moved to Washington, D.C. under Pierre Chambrin, former White House executive chef, at Maison Blanche.  Relocating to San Diego in 1989 he spent five years as chef de cuisine at the Grant Grill, in the US Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp District.  His dedication to his craft has brought him three times as a guest chef to the James Beard House Foundation in New York City.  He was recently voted Chef of the Year by both Chef Magazine, San Diego Magazine and was also awarded the “Best Chef in San Diego” Gold Medallion Award by the San Diego California Restaurant Association. 

Chef Guillas plays an active role in supporting his local community.  He recently hosted the 2006 Davis Cup Tournament at La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.  He regularly participates in the Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation fund-raiser for hunger relief; Celebrities Cook for Cancer, a fund-raiser that benefits the University of California San Diego Cancer Center and Mama’s Kitchen, an event that raises money to feed AIDS patients in the local community, as well as globally with his annual participation with the Children’s Hospital Fundraiser in Melbourne, Australia.

Guillas is spokesperson for the Macy’s School of Cooking, where he frequently leads food demonstrations.  He travels extensively throughout the world promoting his restaurants and the San Diego region.

Chef Guillas participates in international culinary events, such as the Festival Gourmet in Mexico, the Regent Experience Global Cruises, the Masters of Food and Wine in Melbourne, Australia Chef Guillas is continually showcasing the San Diego restaurant scene.