Overview

The Gustavian Celebrates the decadence and glamour brought to Sweden in 1750’s by Crown Prince Gustav III from France where he studied. When Gustav was crowned King of Sweden he rapidly changed the whole country in to a Cultural movement that included fine cuisine. Sweden has since then been one of the most delightful parts of the French cuisine family tree.

Scandinavian cuisine is a melting pot of the Haute Cuisine of the Baltic, Russian, Polish, Finnish and of course Swedish/ French find dining heritage from the past 300 years. We hope you will like our version of preparing dishes created by great chefs from the past and with our own updated twist in presentation!

Our History

Fresh from the Old World era, serving homemade European sausages and artisan breads in the heart of Cebu City in the Philippines. The Gustavian is the inspiration of Chef Robert Lilja a renowned master Chef and Saucier who was previously named as the No. 1 in customer satisfaction for the Marriott Hotel chain and was one of their star chefs.

Chef Robert has risen through the ranks at some of the finest restaurants in Europe. In addition, master chef Dietmar Dietrich has recently joined the Gustavian. He comes with a wealth of experience and has tended to the stoves of many of the finest establishments in Europe. This great combination ensures that the Gustavian is truly world class and the best continental restaurant in the Philippines.

Our Restaurants

Country cooking from the Old World makes its home in Cebu in the hearty, rustic gourmet kitchens of the Gustavian. Add to that a dash of Chef Robert’s and Chef Dietmar’s flair from their endless repertory of culinary knowledge, and the ingredients are transformed into a world class dining experience. You may satisfy your appetite and your palate by dining in the restaurant, or shop for take-out meals, sausages, breads and bagels, spices and herbs, European and home-made cheeses and spreads, or packaged hard-to-find items like polenta, couscous, risotto, olives, or Parma ham and Genoa salami.

The Gustavian offers restaurant service for breakfast, lunch and dinner to showcase its home-made offerings from the Deli. In addition, an ever changing menu offers delicacies such as the kitchen specialty, fillet of beef with the trademark pepper, morel and gorgonzola sauce, arguably the best in the Philippines. Omaha Angus seared to perfection, presented with asparagus and green salad, crusted potato rissole that melts in the mouth, and the smoked salmon Caesar dressing combine perfectly for an unforgettable meal.

The décor and the settings resonate with Old World flair. Fleur-de-lis and artichoke motif chandeliers accent the high ceiling with its boxed Swedish Cross that forms the core of the dining area. The rustic Tuscany tile floor, pine-top tables, and elegant rattan chairs complement the hearty gourmet offerings from the kitchen.

Our Mission & Culture

The Gustavian Restaurants are committed to controlled growth and the continued enhancement of our existing restaurants. Growth will occur in high profile locations that allow expansion into specific designated market areas.

Our concept will remain focused on menus featuring the highest quality and broadest range and variety of seafood and meats. Traditional bars, personable and professional service, a commitment to simplicity and timeless decor will be oriented toward creating “highly satisfied” customers.

Our fundamental market position will be based on a high-perceived value and a commitment to substantial customer counts. Our commitment to quality management and employer development will be paramount to The Gustavian culture.

We strive for the highest quality in all things – food, beverages, service & ambiance. The experience for our guests must be the best it can be.

We are committed to providing value to our customers. Our goal is to meet all the criteria listed here and do so within a reasonable time to moderate price structure. This one key to long term success!

Our Food

Healthful, organic, and robustly gourmet are the complementary themes of the Gustavian Country Farmers Market Delicatessen. During the morning you may breakfast on eggs and home-cured bacon with walnut bread and sausage. Sautéed oyster mushrooms, Italian tomato slices, and a sprig of thyme enhance the delicate flavors of the Da Vinci sausage and raise the meal from mere breakfast to memorable.

The warm roasting smell of freshly baked bread greets customers as they enter into the broad veranda. The Gustavian makes sausages, pickles, smoked meats and sea foods along with its artisan breads. Authentic rustic breads, pugliese, potato walnut bread, pumpernickel rye, and Tuscane are offered daily from the Gustavian¹s state of the art ovens. Crusty baguettes emerge steaming from the oven…

Crusty baguettes emerge steaming from the oven, inviting a spread of shrimp paste and dill cream cheese, fresh from the Deli’s creamery. Chef’s Robert & Dietmar excel at the character and quality of the Old World, but slyly surprises one with their delicate and delicious touches such as sweet Visayan mango slice in the tart prawn’s Caesar salad; crunchy-salty caviar sprinkled on uni(sea urchin sushi) on fresh-cracked oysters; walnut and potato in soft yeasty whole wheat bread with herbed butter spreads.

Chef’s Robert & Dietmar combine the traditional herbs and spices of European sausages into their home-made products. The fresh sun dried tomato sausage features basil and pine nuts for a Mediterranean flair, another has fennel seed and coriander, while thyme & rosemary flavors one of the best fresh sausages one has ever tasted. These are but a few examples of the starters in a line that will feature many standards as well as a changing palette of flavors and affinities, with no doubt occasional zestful surprises from the chef’s broad repertoire.

Our Leadership | People

Mr. Michel Lhuillier ~ Chairman
Mr. Lhuillier nurtures only the best and thus only allows the best, in value, the best in service and the best quality. This has set the standard for the success of our company. Mr. Lhuillier’s renowned business acumen has pushed him to the forefront as one of the Philippines leading businessmen. This factor has greatly attributed to the rapid success of this arm of the company and guarantees complete satisfaction to all of our clients.

Robert F. Lilja ~ Chief Executive Officer
As a Management Consultant, he has advised multinational corporations on their food and beverage set-ups and kitchen designs. His vast knowledge and international experience stretches from hotel management, restaurateur and executive chef, having worked for both international chains and private groups. He has also developed club and institutional concepts and assisted in their operational successes. This has been achieved over a 30 year period with the past 20 of those years being in Asia.

Dietmar Dietrich ~ Group Executive Chef
Chef Dietrich has spent the past 31 years in international hotel operations. He is an expert in the start-up of large-scale projects. He is also responsible for the development and implementation of operating systems and reporting systems for kitchen operations.