SAINT JAMES PARIS WELCOMES NEW CHEF
Gregory Garimbay takes over the Michelin-starred dining at The Saint James Paris hotel.
Grégory Garimbay pictured in the garden restaurant at Saint James Paris (left) and one of his dishes for its restaurant, Bellefeuille, a Ris de veau - Moutarde, Poireau (right). Photos by Guillaume Czerw
PARIS, FRANCE (Feb. 29, 2024) – Bellefeuille Restaurant at the Saint James Paris Hotel announces the arrival of its new chef: Grégory Garimbay. Chef Garimbay succeeds Julien Dumas, who departed to focus on a personal project.
The 37-year-old Garimbay plans to introduce at Bellefeuille a cuisine that is vegetal, mineral, and iodized. A triptych that has proven its worth at his previous post at Auberge Nicolas Flamel (Paris 3rd), where after just a year, he earned a Michelin star at the 30 seat-venue within Paris's oldest house, dating to 1407. Garimbay will bring his point of view to all of the culinary offerings at Saint James Paris, a Relais & Châteaux property. He will oversee Bellefeuille, the fine dining restaurant with 35 seats reserved for Club members at lunch, and 30 seats open to all for dinner, as well as the menu at the hotel’s iconic Library Bar, its new garden restaurant and bar, and the hotel’s room service.
"Grégory Garimbay belongs to this new generation of chefs who have a true sensitivity and respect for the product, an innate taste for combinations, and genuine culinary mastery,” says Laure Pertusier, General Manager of Saint James Paris. “We are delighted to welcome him and to see him animated by so much desire and passion."
This rising star of the French culinary scene, who has traversed the grand tables of Paris, Garimbay brings a respect for responsible food consumption, where vegetables take precedence over meats—sublimated sparingly, like fish, shellfish, and crustaceans sourced from responsible fishing and talented producers.
"Since my arrival in Paris 10 years ago, Saint James Paris has been a place that makes me dream – becoming its chef is magical,” says Garimbay. “I intend to bring my cuisine here with sincerity, spontaneity, and to trigger emotion. This place is a fantastic playground… offering French luxury in a chic and relaxed atmosphere. There is something exclusive and informal here. We can do so many beautiful things here, like welcoming guests in the 4000 m2 garden on sunny days.”
“I am a great lover of vegetables, and the hotel’s organic farm, which offers 45 hectares, including 1.5 hectares of market gardening, is a real asset that will carry my cuisine," says Garimbay.
The garden-inspired dining room at Bellefeuille restaurant in the Saint James Paris hotel.
A Talent to Watch
After culinary training this native of Southwestern France’s Villeneuve-sur-Lot is grandson of a butcher-charcutier and cousin of the renowned chef Gabriel Biscay, Garimbay first trained at Alain's Fourneau in Pont-à-Mousson under Alain Fornara. The young chef then honed his skills in Luxembourg (Hotel Eden au Lac; Two Six Two with Julien Elles), before making a detour to Switzerland (Mövenpick Hotel), where he sharpened his expertise. It was at Two Six Two that he met the sous-chef, Laurent Scheer (Pierre Gagnaire, Le Laurent), who quickly recognized the potential of the timid young man he was then and encouraged him to try his luck in Paris.
In his twenties, the inexperienced Garimbay sent his CV to all the two- and three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the capital. It was Christophe Saintagne, then at the helm of Alain Ducasse's restaurant at the Plaza-Athénée palace in Paris, who gave him a chance and became his mentor (2010-2013). Then came Chef Romain Meder and the concept of naturalness (2013-2015). These years allowed him to refine his skills—from the position of First Assistant handling desserts, garnishes, meat, fish, sauces to the position of First Chef de Partie/Junior Sous-Chef.
After rising to the highly coveted brigade of the Plaza-Athénée, he then succeeded Jean-François Piège at the Sylvestre restaurant within the Thoumieux hotel, alongside Sylvestre Wahid (2015-2020).
Garimbay’s new position as Chef at the Saint James Paris, is the natural continuation of a story that is far from finished. Now at the helm of the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Bellefeuille, he intends to confirm his talent, maintain the star, and expand the establishment, notably through his iconic dish: Langoustine, herbs and flowers, Kristal caviar, and other new creations.
Saint James Paris is located in the 16th arr. at 5, place du Chancelier Adenauer, 75116 Paris. Room rates start at 750 euros inclusive of breakfast.