Fairmont Udaipur Palace is delighted to announce the appointment of Amitesh Virdi as its new Director of Culinary. With more than 24 years of experience across leading hospitality brands, Virdi brings extensive expertise in Indian and international cuisines along with a passion for curating immersive dining experiences.
Virdi began his culinary journey under the aegis of the Indian Tourism Ministry and has since held key leadership roles at Grand Hyatt Delhi and Mumbai, JW Marriott Juhu, Sahar, Mussoorie and Pune, Le Méridien Delhi, and Punjab Grill, where he served as Executive Chef. His culinary repertoire spans Indian, European, Italian, and Sichuan cuisines, developed through years of experience with award-winning hotels and restaurants.
At Fairmont Udaipur Palace, Virdi will spearhead the hotel’s culinary strategy and operations, crafting menus that celebrate Rajasthan’s royal heritage while embracing modern techniques and sustainability practices. His approach emphasizes local sourcing, farm-to-table concepts, and wellness-oriented dining.
Speaking about his vision, Virdi shared:
“My goal is to create dining experiences that are rooted in tradition yet contemporary in execution, highlighting regional ingredients while integrating global culinary trends.”
Under his leadership, the Palace’s dining destinations—Bahaar – The Gastronomical Garden, Dastaan, The Alchemist, Celeste, and Dahaad—will feature curated culinary journeys. Guests can look forward to live cooking stations, storytelling-driven menus, and signature concepts like the 56-dish Royal Thaal for weddings and events.
He is also set to reinterpret Rajasthani heritage dishes such as laal maas, pittod ki sabzi, raabodi ki sabzi, khuskhus ki sabzi, and khatti raab, blending authenticity with contemporary finesse.
Fairmont Udaipur Palace highlighted that this appointment reflects its commitment to delivering innovative, culturally immersive, and personalized dining experiences for every guest.
