He is from Denmark, he has shone alongside the best and today he is betting on Argentina

Before Bertil the rooms were empty. Seeing the bare walls, the rooms devoid of furniture, and hearing his voice echoing through the space, saddened his heart. “When you walk into an empty house, it’s very difficult to feel like you have a home,” he says, recalling his early days in Argentina.

This was not the first time the man, originally from Denmark, had left everything to start over. His passion and the people who appeared in his way led him down an unexpected path, away from his Scandinavian land, towards a land that seemed strange at other times: the lands of Latin America. First there was Bolivia, then came Brazil, and finally, Argentina: “A place where people are different” Confirms.

But why live in Buenos Aires? He says he arrived in the southern country “without hunger,” with a feeling that his creativity and desire for the project had been extinguished. However, the vibrant city conquered him and encouraged him to start over unlike everyone else.

One of Bertil Levin Totenburg’s favorite pastimes was watching his parents in the kitchen, Especially his father, who is passionate about the world of home cooking. Their home was always full of aromas and flavours, and I saw them preparing various dishes with pleasure and as a way to extend love to their families. Thus, from a very early age, Bertil began to feel drawn to this world that gives the body more than just fuel. He felt that through food the cook spread warmth and care: “But chefs love monotony, repetition, chopping onions until they come out perfect, and the feeling of that accomplishment. Repetition makes me bored, and I lose my focus,” he says.

When the young men arrived with some cooking concepts, Bertil reviewed all kinds of jobs associated with the world of hospitality: pachiro, waiter, waiter And much more. Thanks to his obsessive nature and special interest in service, he applied and was able to enter the famous Guest Restaurant, Under Bo Beck’s wing. There he entered the world of wine, and one day, Beau offered to pay him to specialize as a sommelier. Copenhagen Wine Company. This gesture opened much more doors than he could have imagined: Bertel found his passion and the dynamism he was looking for; He combined his love of service with his love of wine. He became Geist’s sommelier and, in turn, entered a world full of perfection and expectations coupled with high demands.

After five years with his mentor, Bertil felt it was time to explore new horizons. At that time, he had already met influential people in the gastronomy environment, including Camilla Seidler and Jonas Andersen, who worked with Klaus Meyer, co-founder of Noma (considered one of the best restaurants in the world), known for promoting new Scandinavian cuisine and using gastronomy for social impact. Camilla and Jonas They told him about Gusto, a gastronomic place Mayer planned to open in Bolivia, A restaurant that over the years has become another international event: “I joined the project in La Paz and started my life in Bolivia,” says Bertil, who went there. Head bartender After some time, at the same time, the restaurant manager.

The times that Bolivia has gone through have presented a huge challenge. Obsessed with customer experience, differential attention and care for every detail, Bertil worked to transform his service into art. His efforts paid off, and he was recognized by various international media outlets, which ranked him among the best bartenders in the world. Life seemed to smile at him: “I tried to give people a happy moment, “People are having a warmer experience than usual,” he says.

“I thought it would take two years in Bolivia, but I ended up staying for seven years,” he continues. “Those were very mentally demanding times, and the work was very hard, and it wasn’t difficult; But for the mind and body, it was too demanding, and the hunger to do more things was running out.

“Gusto was at the peak of his success, but then the pandemic arrived, around that time I met the person who became my wife. She was in Bolivia for work, she was from Brazil, and at the same time she had to come back. I felt it was a good time, with Gusto in a very good position, to let it flow without me and continue. I went to Brazil with my wife and that time was very important for me. I had the opportunity to rest my head a little, recharge my ‘batteries’, ideas, and hold events monthly.”

After two years in Brazil, his wife announced one day that she was moving to a new job. Buenos Aires was the new destination Bertil, wanting to discover new angles, flavors and ways of communicating, began a new step with her.

But this time he arrived in Argentina with a different mentality: “I felt like I was at a point in my life where I had to make decisions that were good for me, and that took my mental health into account. I’m happy to go, and I have no problems adapting to changes in culture. Again, with the feeling of monotony that a chef likes… I’m not the type of person who likes repetition, I like change, I like when there are new cultures, new foods.”

Until the furniture arrived in Buenos Aires, Bertil felt homeless. Although his parents and his family in general were accustomed to distance (he has a sister in Tasmania), the distance in those moments of leisure became more apparent. But then the belongings arrived, the house began to warm up, and the Argentine capital dawned excitingly.

“I started going out to discover the city, experimenting with flavors, and of course eating more beef than before,” he says with a laugh. “Buenos Aires is a vibrant city, and the theatres, museums, and concerts there are incredible. There are so many things, it was so exciting! Of course, changes are hard, you have to start over, your social life has to be built again, you have to make new friends, and find a nice apartment. Starting something new brings very positive feelings, but it is also difficult because, at first, the feeling of being at home is not there. Even dogs feel better when they see their furniture.”

“For the things I enjoy, which are museums, music, art and food, the quality of life in Buenos Aires is great.” “Argentines, on the other hand, are very special. Having lived in Bolivia and Brazil, I saw a big change when I arrived in Argentina. Argentineans are very different from the peoples of many other countries on this continent. What others are like is that warmth that is there, hidden. When you start to understand the Argentine, his sense of humour, the way he talks and so on, there is a very wonderful quality In the people here, this very unique Argentinian feeling is that we share everything, we meet people who do not know you, but as if they are embracing you, inviting you. The human quality is unbelievable.”

After the initial stages of adjustment and certain that he wanted to make accurate decisions, Bertel began to evaluate the job prospects in Buenos Aires. They soon started calling him from different places, met and exchanged interesting conversations, but in any case there was something in the offers that did not convince him: “Chemistry wasn’t a good fit, and the projects didn’t interest me.”

August 2025 arrived, with nothing on the horizon, so Bertel took a trip to Denmark to visit his family, where he met a friend who lived in Barcelona. She mentioned that there was a chef (Leo Llanosol) who was about to open a restaurant that would definitely be worthwhile in Buenos Aires.

“I was in a moment of a little mistrust, “I didn’t think I would find a project like the one I experienced at Gustu,” Bertil says. “But after a week, Leo sent me a message telling me what the project was about and asked me if I had ideas to contribute. I accepted, because I think it’s always interesting to see projects that haven’t been opened yet. I went back, met him, and very quickly we made a very nice connection. Although our personalities are very different, we have similar ideas about how a gastronomic space should work. The hunger I was missing has returned. “I walked into the space and felt creative again.” “Attention to every detail,” says Bertil, who today serves as head of hospitality at Nice, and leads his service according to his personality.

“For me, the feeling of every customer when he enters the restaurant is very important, the warmth, the sound, the image, the demand for every detail, but at the same time delightful and interesting,” he describes. “It’s a more familiar experience, in the sense that there’s a very personal attention, where we’re trying to recommend the right thing.”

The house in Buenos Aires is no longer empty, and Bertil feels he has found a home in Argentina. For him, from the early years of his life, the feeling of joy, warmth and being at home was always important. His parents left their mark on him, and today, having lived in various destinations around the world, he seeks to replicate home no matter where he is, whether with his family, friends or in a work environment.

Meanwhile, Buenos Aires unexpectedly appeared on his way and brought him one of the biggest surprises of his life: “I thought I wanted to retire, and here I regained my hunger for creativity and work,” he says.

Maybe it was the city, maybe it was his ability to realize that, as a human being, he does not like monotony, and to understand when it is time to move and change cultures: “As human beings, knowing different cultures is very important,” says Bertil. “Through this path, there is greater possibility of gaining patience and peace, thanks to the fact that we are able to understand that we are all different. All the movements were very important to learn how to become a better person and how to be warmer. Be happy and accept others and their ways of thinking.

“The places I have lived are very different from Denmark. Living there made me accept that there is another way to happiness and that it is not all about money. Like in Bolivia, where it is about love and friendship. There is no one right path. Brazil has increased my sense of relaxation and joy. Buenos Aires… Buenos Aires gave me the possibility to use all my creativity and ideas.

“In Argentina, I was able to concentrate everything I had learned over the past 15 years and became the person I wanted to be: with more patience, more decisive, and knowing how to communicate and teach. Relax and be happier than ever.” He finishes.

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Unexpected Argentina is a section that proposes to delve deeper into the motivations and feelings of those foreigners who have chosen the Argentine lands to live. If you want to share your experience, you can write to her argentinainesperada@gmail.com . This email does not provide tourist, labor or consular information; The writer of the note is the one who receives it, not the heroes. The testimonies narrated in this section are life facts that reflect personal perceptions.