Favourite cocktail:  Mai Tai or Champagne (dependent on the occasion and location).

If you could have dinner with any musician, who would it be and why? David Bowie.
I would love to listen to a story from any of the amazing parties he would have attended. He had charisma, humanity, and authenticity.

nessa van bergen

MANAGING PARTNER & SOMMELIER

Nessa started her restaurant management career with Cactus Club Restaurants but her first foray into high-end dining was with Umberto Menghi as part of the opening team for Mangiamo Ristorante in Yaletown in 1994, long before it became the ‘in’ neighbourhood it is now. She worked her way from Lunch Manager to Dining Room Manager after a year and credits her introduction into the world of wine to Chef Ken Bogas. Rising to the top of the restaurant scene in the 90’s, Nessa earned her International Sommelier Guild certification (ISG) in 1999, the first year it was available in Vancouver.

From Mangiamo, Nessa moved to Le Crocodile to become the youngest Maître D’ chef/owner Michel Jacob had worked with at his critically acclaimed restaurant. At Le Crocodile, Nessa worked on her first-of-many throughout her career Chaînes des Rôtisseurs dinner and the legendary Omega Racing Team parties during the Molson Indy week.

A couple of years later she took on the General Manager’s position at The Creek Restaurant and Brewery on Granville Island, where in addition to overseeing the massive restaurant and lounge facilities, she oversaw the business of the onsite Micro-brewery. The venue was perfect for the many high profile events coordinated by her team for the likes of MGM Studios, Lionsgate Films, Paramount Pictures, and BMW Canada.

Three years later, Nessa would see her first foray into the hotel business with position of Outlet Manager at the four-star Delta Pinnacle Hotel. During her time there, Showcase Restaurant won ‘Best Hotel Dining’ by the Where Magazine Restaurant Awards; hosted Jean-Louis Palladin as a Guest Chef; held Canada’s first all-cognac dinner with Rémy Martin of France; hosted Mario Andretti and Andretti Winery for a high-profile dinner during Molson Indy; hosted Wine Maker’s dinners for Ferrari-Carano of Sonoma, Chateau St. Michelle and Columbia Crest of Washington and more.

A big move followed when Nessa was headhunted to join the team at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House to run the beverage program and study under the tutelage of famed restaurateur, Bud Kanke. During her 7 years in this position Joe Fortes annually garnered the coveted ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ from the Wine Spectator and the ‘Award of Ultimate Distinction’ from the Wine Enthusiast, one of only 2 restaurants in BC at the time. Her beverage program sold over 43,000 bottles of wine a year and was the largest individual purchaser of wine after the Convention Centre and GM Place (now Rogers Arena) for a 5 year period. She also took a pivotal role in the opening of sister restaurant, Goldfish Pacific Kitchen in Yaletown and developed a Corporate Purchasing position that included beverages, as well as sundries, and later food. From that position she was nominated by her colleagues to take on the role of Operations Leader for both Joe Fortes and Goldfish Pacific Kitchen which she fulfilled for over a year while having 2 very young children and a successful celebrity chef husband.

Going back to her entrepreneurial roots, Nessa decided to concentrate fulltime on her restaurant acumen and focus solely on hospitality consulting and catering clients. Bon Vivant Catering & Events and Bon Vivant Hospitality Group have flourished ever since, exclusively providing food and beverage services for Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art and other venues. Current and former clients include KPMG, National Bank, ICBC, Deloitte, Chor Leoni, Royal Bank of Canada executive floor in Vancouver and its divisions, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, Sony Imageworks, Nita Lake Lodge, Hollyburn Country Club, Coast Spas Manufacturing Inc., Hill & Knowlton, California Wine Institute, Wine Australia, Wines of South Africa, Wines of Provence, New World Wines Inc., Fraîche Restaurant and Beachside Forno, The Pinnacle Group (PIER 7 restaurant + bar), and Tugboat Media Group. Bon Vivant has developed partnerships with many of the wine-centric public relations firms to provide wine and food pairings, catering, and media opportunities in Vancouver, Whistler, the Gulf Islands, and the US.

The pandemic of 2020 moved Nessa and Dino to create Bon Vivant Provisions, an online gourmet food shopping experience with no-touch delivery throughout Vancouver and the Northshore.