Jean François Piège

About Jean François Piège

Born in Valencia, Jean-François Piège had his first significant encounter at the age of 14 with Chef Jacques Manière. At 17, he entered the Hotel School in Tain l’Hermitage, and three years later, at just 20 years old, he became a chef de partie at the Hôtel Crillon under Chef Christian Constant. In the meantime, he worked at the Hôtel Le Chabichou in Courchevel; and he met Bruno Cirino, chef of Château Eza in Eze, a pivotal meeting in Chef Piège’s career. He completed his military service at the Palais de l’Elysée and the following year returned to Chef Cirino. After a year, the latter sent him to Alain Ducasse, with whom he would work for twelve years. He was first Chef at Louis XV (Monaco), then at Relais du Parc (Paris), and finally at Plaza Athénée (Paris). It was there, in 2001, that he earned the third star from the Michelin Guide for this restaurant. In 2004, he returned to the Hôtel de Crillon, where he became Chef at the restaurant Les Ambassadeurs. Under his leadership, the restaurant received its second star from the Michelin Guide in 2005. That same year, he was named “Chef of the Year” in the Pudlo and Champérard guides. Two years later, in 2007, Gault&Millau also named him “Chef of the Year.” In 2009, he left the Hôtel de Crillon to embark on a personal adventure, in partnership with Thierry Costes: Thoumieux. Just two years later, in 2011, the Restaurant Jean-François Piège received two stars from the Michelin Guide, and the professional magazine Le Chef crowned him once again as “Chef of the Year.”