The Most Famous Parisian Chefs you should Follow

A chef is cooking on the cooker. Photo by Johnathan Macedo- Unsplash

The Most Famous Parisian Chefs you should Follow

If Paris is the capital of France and France is the capital of fine dining, then the finest French chefs in Paris must be the best chefs in the world. For years, France has been the world’s center of fine dining. Chefs from across the globe have been gravitating to Paris since the 1960s to delve into the world of “nouvelle cuisine.” Today, French chefs continue to build on their heritage by constructing innovative meals that amaze and pleasure. Foodies travel to Paris hoping to discover the finest gourmet cuisine. To everyone’s pleasure, they’re not only available at expensive Michelin-starred restaurants.

Also, check out; 10 Most Famous French Chefs

1. Jean-Christophe Novelli

The above-said chef started baking at the age of 14, finally becoming a private head chef to the world-famous family of Elie de Rothschild. Jean-Christophe was only 19 at the time however, he’d already spent several years sharpening his skill in numerous restaurant jobs. After working as head chef at Keith Floyd’s The Maltsters pub, the top chef relocated to Britain and opened a number of London-based restaurants. The French chef, who ran the highly praised Novelli Academy, saw his chefs’ school ranked among the top 25 culinary institutions in the world.

2. Guillaume Sanchez

Guillaume, the “Enfant Terrible,” is only 30 years old and yet has already established himself as figure who is constantly talked about: poorly or favorably, whatever however, Sanchez is nonsense with his own dream and brilliant authenticity.

Guillaume, who also studied pastry, provides genuinely detailed and specific meals with flawless presentations, as well as extensive research into new approaches, fermentation processes and unconventional items. Guilaume’s restaurant, Neso, is not afraid of anything: come here to be amazed, merely trusting the chef and the moment. Neso is famous for its contemporary cuisine based primarily on fish and sea products.

3.Chef Pierre Gagnaire

Pierre Gagnaire, a famous French top chef, was born in 1950. It is accompanied by gastronomy. His father was also a restaurant owner. Gagnaire’s first restaurants opened in Saint-Étienne. As a result, he received three Michelin stars for his efforts. Even so, he faced financial difficulties and had to close this restaurant in 1995. But nevertheless, a few years later, he opened another restaurant in Paris, earning him three Michelin stars once more. Numerous new restaurants have opened over the years. Following London, there was a second in Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. What distinguishes the Gagnaire style? It is part of the field of molecular gastronomy, in which science is applied to the process of food preparation in the kitchen.

4. Dominique Ansel

Dominique Ansel is widely recognized as the creator of the Cronut (and making countless other next-level pastries). Even if you’ve never heard of Dominique Ansel (as if you haven’t), you’ve undoubtedly heard of his doughnut-croissant hybrid, the Cronut—the one that has influenced scalpers, violence, tears, and shameless copycats. However, Ansel is about much more than that. He’s a pâtissier on a mission, bringing mysterious French treats to American shores and doing crazy things with traditional pastries (see his latest creation, frozen s’mores) after a 12-year stint at Fauchon in Paris and a six-year stint as the pastry chef at Daniel.

5. Anne-Sophie Pic

Baskets of Berries. Photo by Priscilla Fong- Unsplash

Anne-Sophie Pic has three Michelin stars (one of only four women ever to receive such an honor) for Maison Pic in her hometown of Valence in the Drôme. Her Instagram feed is filled with colorful and mouth-watering desserts. We particularly like her Mackerel Escabeche recipe, which is ideal for dining al fresco on a summer day – the full recipe is available in English if you scroll through the comments. Why not cap it off with a refreshing strawberry sorbet? Anne-Sophie Pic has no formal culinary training, so there’s nothing stopping you from making Michelin-starred food at home as well!

Also, check out; The best Michelin-star chefs in the world

6. Raymond Blanc

Raymond Blanc, a famous chef born in Eastern France, takes inspiration from his mother and the recipes she introduced him to as a child. He is now the head chef and owner of Le Manoir, a two Michelin-starred country house hotel in the United Kingdom, where he promotes the use of seasonal fruits and vegetables to create a few of the finest meals foodies everywhere can relish.

7. Amaury Bouhours

Alain Ducasse’s iconic restaurant within the hotel Le Meurice has recently been “reborn”: young chef Amaury Bouhours has replaced the former chef – Jocelyn Herland – and is now the head of the kitchens. They are introducing a fresh point of view of Monsieur Ducasse’s restaurant, giving it a fresh change: more gentle, more unexpectedly free, light, and even more durable and “French” with the use of nearly 95% of the ingredients from the country’s territory. Amaury attempts to personalize the menu with meals such as lightly cooked Noirmoutier sea bream, beetroot, smoked yogurt; crispy blue lobster, fennel, quince, or even roasted Culoiseau chicken, carrot, pollen, shiso. His cuisine is distinctively local, authentic and unforgettable.

8. David Le Quellec

David Le Quellec has served as Moulin Rouge’s Executive Chef since 2015 however, his work experience began long before he participated in the well-known cabaret. His gastronomic career started in the military, where he worked as a personal chef for a five-star general. Le Quellec has worked in some of France’s top restaurants, including 1 Michelin Star Taillevent, 3 Michelin Star Le Cinq, and one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Pavillon Ledoyen. He was the Executive Chef of the Concorde Opera Hotel in Paris prior to joining the Moulin Rouge. Chef David Le Quellec tends to bring his numerous years of fine dining expertise to the Moulin Rouge, where his specifically designed menu integrates classic French flavors with a contemporary twist, all cooked fresh in the Moulin Rouge kitchen.

9. Jacques Torres

Jacques Torres is widely recognized for being a Willy Wonka-style chocolate wizard who makes all of his own chocolate from scratch. Although Jacques “Mr. Chocolate” Torres rose to prominence in the 1990s for creating delightful treats such as a mini chocolate Stove and a chocolate clown at Le Cirque, he now mainly focuses on chocolatier-ing rather than cooking in restaurant kitchens. His expanding cocoa empire of seven stores (such as two chocolate factories and an ice cream shop) produces exquisite bonbons, magnificent truffles, extraordinary desserts like chocolate-covered Cheerios, and some of the finest delightful hot chocolate you’ll ever have.

Read more on; Best Chocolatiers in the World

10. Alain Passard

Alain Passard is the chef at the Paris restaurant L’Arpège. He is recognized for his reverence for Mother Nature, therefore he only uses fresh, seasonal, and homegrown ingredients. The goods are grown in three gardens spread across the country by L’Arpège. He already had two Michelin stars at the age of 26.

11. Yoric Tièche

Yoric Tièche is the executive chef at the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, where he happens to find influence in the local, seasonal ingredients of the French Riviera and the greatness of the Mediterranean. His Instagram feed is filled with the vibrant freshness of Provençal vegetables and plates that are pretty enough to be framed and hung on the wall, and it will make you want to visit a French market as soon as possible.

12. Paul Bocuse

Paul Bocuse, highly regarded for his substantial contribution to French cooking, has spent years in the food service industry – and it shows. Paul is one of the founders of ‘Nouvelle Cuisine,’ which is recognized for its use of quality ingredients. He also founded the Bocuse d’Or, one of the most renowned gastronomic accolades in the cooking world. L’Auberge, Paul’s most renowned restaurant, provides some of the best French cuisines in town.

13. Matthias Marc

Raw organic ingredients and spices. Photo by Calum Lewis- Unsplash

After working at such renowned restaurants as Racines des Prés, Saint James, Le Meurice, and Lasserre, Matthias is now a chef and co-owner of the Substance restaurant in Paris’s highly regarded 16th arrondissement at the age of 26! He is a genuine “great success” in the Parisian culinary world: no one is younger and more talented than him! As a result, chef Marc continues to surprise Parisian gourmands: with each new item on the menu, his cuisine grows more intriguing, elucidated and insightful as his research and experiments progress. The emphasis on Fine Dining cuisine in a pleasant setting, along with an exceptional wine list and affordable prices, is Substance’s greatest strength.

14. Hélène Darroze

Hélène Darroze worked under Alain Ducasse before opening her own restaurant in Paris, Restaurant Hélène Darroze. She received her first Michelin star in 2001 and has since alternated between her other restaurant at London’s Connaught Hotel. Darroze is a fourth-generation chef who has worked in the kitchen her entire life. She is now one of only a few female chefs in the world with two Michelin stars. Darroze was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the French Legion of Honour by President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012. It’s also worth noting that she was the model for the character ‘Colette’ in Pixar’s Ratatouille.

15. Eric Ripert

Eric Ripert is widely recognized as the Zen master of Le Bernardin, undoubtedly America’s most iconic seafood restaurant. Eric Ripert has been the hero of one of the country’s unique temples to seafood since 1994, treating fish with unprecedented adoration and methodology. It’s no surprise that he’s the only chef to have received four-star ratings from the New York Times on multiple occasions over a 15-year period. Ripert has changed the way Americans prepare and discuss seafood with various Television appearances (on Top Chef and his wildly successful PBS series, Avec Eric) and even a YouTube show (“On the Table”). He’s also a Batman fan and has cooked for the Dalai Lama, making him undeniably the much more zen chef around.

Read more on; Top 10 Interesting Facts about Eric Ripert

16.Chief Joël Robuchon

Jol Robuchon is a well-known French chef. Robuchon was born in Poitier in 1945. He passed away in Geneva in 2018 at the age of 73. Robuchon enjoyed appearing in the media and has published numerous recipe books. His cookbooks Larousse Gastronomique, Tout Robuchon, and Simply French are popular among the general public. He also served as a consultant to food industries and ran an aircraft catering service.

Robuchon was a well-known chef, as evidenced by his appearance in the Michelin guide in 2008, where he received 18 stars. In 1976, he was titled “Meilleur Ouvrier de France,” and in 1989, he was titled “Chef of the Century.”

17.Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is an Alsatian who joined the culinary school in Perpignan before establishing a reputation for himself in the United States. He has managed restaurants in cities ranging from New York to Paris to Shanghai. His Instagram feed is filled with breathtaking food photography and a generous dollop of laughter. And if you happen to be in New York right now, keep an eye out for special offers like this divine Egg Toast, Caviar, and Herbs, which is available to buy and collect from Nougatine at Jean-Georges for a limited period of time only. Breakfast has just become more upscale!

18. Rougui Dia

Rougui Dia’s historical legacy is in Senegal and he is at the frontline of French cooking. Rougui, who started testing with flavors at a young age, is another chef who draws inspiration from her parents’ cooking after gathering pointers from her mother. Rougui joined 144 Petrossian in Paris in 2001 and was promoted to head chef in 2005. The restaurant, which specializes in caviar, provides a creative and innovative menu that you should try if you’re ever in Paris.

19. Atsushi Tanaka

Atsushi, a Japanese young chef, relocated from his native country to France, driven by a strong desire to master the art of cooking. He has worked with French chefs such as Pierre Gagnaire. After many years, he now owns A.T., a small restaurant that specializes in Frenchy-Kaiseki cuisine. His masterpieces are as delicate, fragile, and spiritual as Japan’s natural beauty. Accuracy, thoroughness and the desire to achieve excellence are also reminiscent of his motherland, while artistry, poise of taste, and not supercilious elegance are all attributes Atsushi owes to his French culinary traditions.

20. Yannick Alléno

All ambitious young chefs and food critics are intrigued by the name Yannick Alléno. He is regarded as one of the new fathers of cuisine in France, having trained a number of the most talented and innovative young chefs in Paris and throughout the world. Indeed, Alleno devotes his creative abilities to revamping traditional French cooking methods and he has even trademarked his own sauce-making technique, Extractions®. Among his restaurants in Marrakech, Seoul, and Dubai is the widely respected 3 Michelin Star Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris.

21. Pierre Hermé

Pierre Hermé is a cultural icon in the pastry world, renowned for his delectable macarons. He is regarded as a revolutionary because he modernizes traditional recipes and techniques. For this, he was awarded the Chevalier of Arts and Letters.

22. Grégoire Berger

Grégoire Berger, a Versailles native, opened the underwater restaurant Ossiano in Dubai after a brilliant career at numerous Michelin-starred restaurants throughout France. Some 65,000 fish inhabit the aquarium that surrounds diners, who can feast on some of the world’s greatest seafood. His Instagram feed is chock-full of perfection – here’s a chef who puts craftsmanship into culinary arts!

23. Hubert Keller

Hubert Keller is famous for being one of the first French chefs to enhance the humble burger. It’s not every day that you come across a French chef whose most famous creation is an American burger. Hubert Keller, on the other hand, is far from normal; even his widely praised modern French cuisine is infused with Mediterranean and Brazilian flavors. Keller embodies the function of a Celebrity Chef with his laidback mannerisms and joyful mannerisms on Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, and his own Secrets of a Chef series on PBS. He’s cooked for Bill Clinton and his family at the White House, and every now and then, he swaps his apron for a spin table and puts on a show at a club. It doesn’t get any better than that. In Vegas, he provides the FleurBurger 5000, a $5,000 high-roller burger with foie gras, black truffles and a Chateau Petrus 1990 combination.

24.Erwan Ledru & Kevin de Porre

When two is preferable to one. Chef Kevin de Porre has worked at three Michelin-starred restaurants including Kei and Plaza Athénée, as well as the Shangri-La Paris kitchens. Born in the Pyrénées-Orientales, his cuisine reflects the landscape and heritage of his homeland.

Erwan Ledru, a childhood friend of Kevin de Porre, has dined at Arnaud Nicolas, Le Meurice, Lasserre, and Le Rech. Erwan, for one, is from Brittany and values self-sustaining fishing and local products. While one is enthusiastic about exploring different tastes and advancements, the other is obsessed with perfecting and displacing unique culinary methods. As a result, these two conflicting characters took over the restaurant and created a new unforgettable Fine Dining suggestion.

25. Thierry Marx

Thierry Marx, a French chef, has had a lengthy and vibrant career in the world of fine French cuisine. Marx worked as a security guard, warehouse worker and even a marine paratrooper before training as a chef’s assistant at popular restaurants such as Pavillon Ledoyen, Taillevent, and Robuchon. He is now one of the most well-known French chefs, serving as the head chef of the 2 Michelin-starred restaurant Sur-Mesure at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Paris. He is also an extremely successful businessman, having opened over 5 restaurants in France and authoring numerous recipe books.

26. Guy Savoy

Guy Savoy is well-known throughout the world for his participation in Nouvell Cuisine. His roots are in Nevers, where he grew up in a family with a long history of fine dining. He now owns two restaurants in Paris and Las Vegas. The Paris restaurant has three Michelin stars and is ranked among the top 50 in the world.

27. Jacques Pepin

Jacques Pepin is famous in the United States as the “granddaddy” of French cooking. Jacques Pepin has worn many hats in his 50-year culinary career, including chef, writer, cooking series host, food columnist, teacher, and proficient artist. His down-to-earth demeanor makes it all the more impressive that he’s laughed and joked with Julia Child on TV, worked as Charles De Gaulle’s personal chef, and declined a chance to be President John F. Kennedy’s personal chef at the White House. He continues to influence young chefs and encourage home cooks through his recipe books, such as the renowned La Technique, which is still taught in classrooms today (and remixed by us), and his work at the International Culinary Center in New York.

28. Bertrand Grébaut

Septime in Paris’ 11th district is the world’s 52nd-best restaurant. Chef Bertrand Grébaut’s menu is a fusion of tender and energetic cooking techniques taught in the kitchens of L’Arpège under Alain Passard and during his trips through Asia. Grébaut also runs Clamato, a more casual seafood restaurant, and Septime la Cave, a wine bar located adjacent to the main restaurant. Septime has one Michelin star and is popular among Parisian foodies.

29. Michel Guérard

Michel Guérard’s specialty is healthy cooking, also known as Cuisine Minceur. This is considered a lighter and healthier version of Nouvelle Cuisine. His wife, who owns a spa in Eugénie-le-Bains, inspired him in part.

30. Tomy Gousset

Chefs garnishing plates. Photo by Louis Hansel- Unsplash

Tomy Gousset is a rising French chef who recently obtained his first Michelin star for his 7th arrondissement restaurant Tomy & Co. Tomy & Co.’s menu changes with the seasons. Black truffle gnocchi, roasted apricots with verbena mushrooms, and asparagus with mimosa eggs and an orange vinaigrette are among their specialties. Tommy and Co. have successfully established itself as one of the best restaurants in Paris serving haute cuisine in a relaxed environment since its debut in 2016.

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