The Story
Of Scottish origin and raised in Manchester, Manabu Founder Alastair Long began his professional career there in 2008. He later moved to London, working for Gordon Ramsay at Maze before joining Zuma and ultimately serving as Executive Chef. His work took him internationally before he settled in Switzerland in 2018.
The idea for Manabu took shape while Alastair was teaching Modern Japanese Gastronomy at Glion Institute of Higher Education. The name comes from the Japanese verb manabu—to learn. It reflects a belief that knowledge should deepen without ever becoming fixed: every ingredient, season and service offers something new to understand.
Manabu is a contemporary exploration of kaiseki—guided by its discipline, seasonality and progression, and expressed through ingredients from the British Isles and Europe.
After a series of pop-ups and residencies in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe, Manabu opened its first permanent home in Vevey in 2022, inside a converted church. This intimate setting gave the restaurant its first lasting form and allowed its identity to develop.
Since December 2023, Manabu has been situated within the historic Hôtel des Trois Couronnes, overlooking Lake Geneva. This move marked a new chapter for the restaurant while preserving the intimate, personal character established in its first home.
Through every chapter, Manabu remains a place of continuous learning—curious, precise and always evolving.