Alain Ducasse

Alain Ducasse was born in a farm in Castelsarrazin in the Landes region of south-western France on September 13th 1956. In 1977 he worked at Roger Vergé’s “Moulin de Mougins” and in 1978 he is employed by Alain Chapel in Mionnay where he spent two years with the chef who became his spiritual master. In 1980 Roger Vergé offers him the position of Chef at “L’Amandier” in Mougins. One year later, Alain Ducasse takes charge of the kitchen brigade at “La Terrasse”, the restaurant in the Hôtel Juana in Juan-les-Pins, and in 1984 he was awarded two stars in the Red Guide. In 1987 the Société des Bains de Mer (S.B.M.) offers him the position of Chef des Cuisines at the Hôtel de Paris in Monte-Carlo, and asks him to manage the “Le Louis XV” restaurant. This is the first hotel restaurant to be awarded, in 1990, three stars in the Red Guide. In 1995 inaugurates “La Bastide de Moustiers”, a country inn in Provence, awarded one star in the Red guide in 2002, and on August 12th 1996 he opens the “Alain Ducasse” restaurant in the hotel “Le Parc - Sofitel Demeure Hôtels”, in Paris and one year later the restaurant is awarded three stars in the Red Guide.

Alain Ducasse opens many other restaurants: in December 1998 the first concept “Spoon, Food & Wine”, in Paris; in June 2000 “Alain Ducasse at the Essex House” in New York City; in December 2000 “59POINCARE”; in July 2002 “Auberge Iparla” in the French Basque County and restaurant “Aux Lyonnais” in October 2002 in Paris; in September 2005 Benoit Tokyo, a Mediterranean bistro in Aoyama.

Alain Ducasse involves himself in every aspect of the business, from choosing interior designers, to recruiting staff, to launching his new restaurants in Monaco, Paris, New York, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and even La Celle en Provence.