When Tomislav Gretić works his magic at the Wine Vault restaurant inside the luxurious Monte Mulini hotel
in Rovinj, top-quality ingredients and fine wines blend together into a true symphony of the senses. And with these compositions, Gretić also offers the guest a deep insight into his own thoughts and feelings.
After graduating from hospitality school, Tomislav Gretić took his first steps on the culinary ladder as a chef’s assistant at the Yacht Club and Marina on the island of Cres. Other noteworthy stints in Croatian cuisine included the Laguna hotel in Zagreb, chef de partie at the city’s Sheraton hotel and head chef at the Palace hotel in Dubrovnik. Gretić – now also in great demand abroad – then moved to Poland and Dubai: he played a culinary part in the gala opening of the Sheraton hotel in Warsaw and worked as sous-chef at the Deira hotel in Dubai, where he was named Employee of the Year 2000 and received a special award for his cooking accomplishments. But it was his subsequent achievements in the kitchens of the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich and the Egyptian Hotel Stella di Mare in Ain Soukhni which Gretic describes as turning points in his culinary development, for that is where he was able to blossom as a chef and put forward his very own philosophy. More matured and established, Gretic then accepted the role of head chef at the Wine Vault in 2007, the exclusive restaurant of the 5-star Monte Mulini hotel in Rovinj. He has remained there ever since, taking on more and more responsibility. He now supervises no fewer than seven al-la-carte restaurants.
Trends mean nothing at the Wine Vault, where head chef Gretić’s main priority is pure enjoyment. It’s therefore not surprising that the atmosphere inside is fully geared towards leaving the stresses and strains of everyday life behind. Communicating with the guests is also very important to Gretić: at the Wine Vault, it’s completely normal to find the guests enjoying a laid-back chat with the chef and his sommelier before dinner, discussing the different dishes and accompanying wines.
In terms of style, Gretić’s cuisine at the Wine Vault can be described as French and Mediterranean with a slight international slant. The quality of the produce is very important, of course, along with the meticulous attention to detail. With his passion for cuisine, Gretić reveals a great deal about his personality, whereby the composition and taste of the creations reflect his way of thinking. It is precisely this almost intimate relationship between chef and guest – accentuated by the dishes – that Gretić strives for and which make the Wine Vault a trustworthy oasis of well-being.
It allows him to combine personality, diverse flavours and sublime culinary skills into unforgettable compositions, which are rounded off superbly and accentuated by the wide selection of wine, from where the Wine Vault takes its name. And it has earned Gretić yet another award this year: Croatia’s Best Chef 2014. His creations, which impress with their well-conceived, skilfully combined and strong flavours, include raw scallop with asparagus and mint tea, pickled radish, salicornia, mango and tomato salsa, and oyster leaves. Guests will also find beef sirloin with goose liver crème brulée, or imaginative combinations such as tuna on a mirror of onion jelly, orange juice, dried dates and pickled ginger. Tomislav Gretić greets his guests with a small promise on the Wine Vault’s menu: “If you turn these pages, I will offer you my soul, my creativity, myself.”
Those wanting an even deeper insight into this very personal form of top international cuisine will have the opportunity in May 2015, when Tomislav Gretić will be serving up his thoughts and feelings exclusively to the guests of Restaurant Ikarus at Salzburg’s Hangar-7.
Text: Hangar 7
Photos: Helge Kirchberger
