Awarded a Michelin star in March 2023 for her Nîmes-based restaurant Rouge, chef Georgiana Viou is now multiplying projects back in her home country, Benin.
Georgiana Viou is the very first African woman to receive a Michelin star, an accolade she earned in 2023. Arriving in France at the age of 22, this self-taught chef’s cuisine is recognized both in Europe and Africa.
Today, thousands of kilometers from France, it is in Benin—at the restaurant L’ami in the Sofitel Hotel in Cotonou—that her culinary creativity is flourishing.
Born in Cotonou, Georgiana Viou originally dreamed of becoming a conference interpreter. In 1999, she left her native Benin to pursue foreign language studies at the Sorbonne. However, her other passion—cooking—gradually took center stage, shaped by bold decisions, chance opportunities, and meaningful encounters.
After landing a job at a communication agency in Marseille, she entered the world of gastronomy through various culinary competitions, where her instinct and energy stood out. Everything followed naturally: she gained experience in renowned establishments in Provence and Paris, and in 2011, she decided to strike out on her own. The people of Marseille quickly discovered her cuisine, rooted in the Mediterranean and infused with Beninese touches, first at L’Atelier de Georgiana, then Chez Georgiana, and later at La Piscine, as detailed on her website (https://georgianaviou.com/).
Her unique style soon attracted the attention of Gault & Millau, which twice awarded two toques to her restaurants and named her among their "Young Talents" of 2015. In 2021, while excelling at the helm of ROUGE, she received the prestigious "Grand de Demain" trophy from the same guide.
Finally, in 2023, came her crowning achievement: the Michelin Guide awarded a star to ROUGE.
