Guillermo Pernot

National renowned chef and restaurateur Guillermo Pernot joined Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar as the top toque in the Fall of 2006. As Chef-Partner, Pernot is responsible for maintaining the quality, taste and authenticity of Cuba Libre’s cuisine at all locations as the company expands its concept across America. His dinner, lunch and brunch menus envision what Cuba’s cuisine would be like today, if it had continued to flourish beyond the golden era of the 1950s. Pernot’s dishes are full of color, aroma and style.

In 2010 Pernot embarked on a mission to discover what Cuba cuisine was today. During multiple visits to Cuba, Pernot forged relationships with the premier local chefs in Havana. He spent days cooking and dining with them in their restaurants, homes and farms. In January 2012, Chef Pernot and Cuba Libre launched a culinary exchange series named Pop-Up Paladar, in which the top chefs of Havana are invited to cook in Cuba Libre’s kitchens for special guest chef dinners. In return, Chef Pernot invited Cuba Libre’s guests to join him on a series of custom cultural and culinary tours of the island nation’s capital. The inaugural trip embarked April 2012.

Pernot is credited for introducing Nuevo Latino cuisine to Philadelphia. While owner of ¡Pasion! Pernot earned an impressive list of accolades including awards from Gourmet, Philadelphia Magazine and Fodor’s. Pernot was named Esquire’s “Chef of the Year.” Additionally, he received two of the most prestigious awards given in the food industry. The James Beard Award for “Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region” and “Best Single Subject Cookbook” for Ceviche: Seafood, Salads and Cocktails with a Latino Twist.

Pernot’s background also includes the launch of Vega Grill, during which Food & Wine named him one of “America’s Ten Best New Chefs,” and Restaurant Hospitality named him one of the “Ten Rising Stars.” He also spent time in Miami, where he led the kitchen at Gloria Estefan’s Latin restaurant, Allioli in South Beach.

Pernot’s culinary success can be attributed to his passionate and flavorful cuisine – a culinary dedication to his roots. Born in Argentina, Pernot and his wife, who is Cuban and who is related to the third President of Cuba, live in suburban Philadelphia with their two children.

About Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar:

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar opened in Philadelphia in 2000, Atlantic City in 2004, Orlando in 2009 and Washington DC in 2010 to much acclaim, giving guests a passport to Cuba's intriguing flavors and culture. The restaurant’s name, which translates to “a free Cuba,” signifies a hope for the future of the treasured island nation. Two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot’s menus feature tantalizing tastes that reflect Cuba’s culinary traditions, as well as the emerging modern cuisine he is experiencing during his continuing travels to Cuba. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is poised for expansion into other new markets. The restaurant is an affiliate of GuestCounts Hospitality which operates a diverse portfolio of restaurant, catering, and nightlife concepts in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Orlando and Washington, DC including, Brûlée Catering by Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix, and Gourmetro Catering. Principals Barry Gutin and Lawrence Cohen bring a unique combination of expertise to each of their projects and have been partners in the hospitality business since 1995. For more information about Cuba Libre, please visit www.CubaLibreRestaurant.com. For more information on GuestCounts Hospitality please visit www.GuestCounts.com