Lifestyle/ GASTRONOMY
JEAN IMBERT: TOP CHEF ON THE MOVE!
By Monique Delanoue-Paynot
The youngest graduate of the Institut Paul Bocuse, considered one of the 50 most influential French people in the world by Vanity Fair, Jean Imbert continues a brilliant culinary career.
At the helm of the kitchens of the palace on Avenue Montaigne, the star chef deploys his culinary talents both in Parisian luxury and in the main trendy spots around the globe, where he brings with freshness and tradition his inventive and inimitable touch. Successful!
It was an event in the world of gastronomy: “Jean Imbert succeeds Alain Ducasse at the head of the Plaza Athénée Paris”. The Parisian (and gourmet) microcosm received this news with circumspection. What would become of our taste buds and the great challenge launched at the 39-year-old chef about to succeed the famous Ducasse, the most Michelin-starred chef in the world? It must be noted that since his victory in 2012 on the show Top Chef, Jean Imbert hasn’t stopped. While he excelled in various ways in his Parisian, Saint-Tropez, or American restaurants, the gastronomic flagship of Avenue Montaigne became for this workaholic an extraordinary adventure not to be missed.
Le Relais Plaza Paris: within the Plaza Athénée, how can one resist the charm of this brasserie with beautiful Art Deco decor inspired by the ocean liner Normandie? A unique atmosphere, an unmissable spot in the capital for lunch or dinner.
His arrival within the hotel (a member of the Dorchester Collection) signified the desire to bring a breath of modernity to the palace’s restaurants, as well as the (successful!) bet to attract a trendy and cosmopolitan Parisian crowd. And the new head chef got busy in the kitchen both at the brasserie—the “Relais Plaza”, a Parisian “institution” with its Art Deco ambiance rejuvenated its menu—and at the gastronomic restaurant, “Jean Imbert at Plaza Athénée”, whose awakening of the senses delights the most demanding. Eight months later, the joyful verdict falls with “1 Michelin star”. The objective? To equal or even surpass the master, recognized to this day as the greatest chef currently on the planet, allowed Jean Imbert to race towards success and multiply his talented collaborations: from the Martinez in Cannes to the Cheval Blanc in Saint-Barth, from the restaurants of the Brando, the luxury hotel nestled on the private atoll of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia, to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the young 43-year-old man continues his meteoric rise.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée: Terrasse Montaigne or Cour Jardin, the seafood concept by Jean Imbert: oysters, seafood, lobster claw with caviar, crab cake, spring rolls filled with langoustines, a marine symphony in the heart of Paris.
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In Cannes, chef of the most emblematic hotel on the Croisette
Welcome to Hôtel Martinez. An iconic establishment of luxury hospitality on the Côte d’Azur that the young Imbert already dreamed of when he worked there from the age of 16. One year after his appointment as head of the kitchens in 2023, he continues his inventive touch at the restaurant “La Plage” and unveils his gastronomic project, the starred restaurant “La Palme d’Or”, during the opening of the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2024.
Enchanting setting, breathtaking Art Deco architecture, unparalleled location on the famous Croisette in Cannes, Hôtel Martinez offers a significant challenge. The wish of the gifted chef is above all to harmonize local flavors and to play an avant-garde (but highly gastronomic) card by celebrating the glamour specific to the city that welcomes stars and visitors in search of culinary excellence on the French Riviera.
Driven by his two passions, gastronomy and cinema, he creates “La Plage” in 2023 and “La Palme d’Or” Imbert version in 2024.
Mediterranean: the chef offers a cuisine anchored with local producers and seasonal products.
Seaside: an exceptional moment on the beach where you reserve your deckchair and sunbeds with “Riviera chic” striped fabrics!
Mediterranean: the chef offers a cuisine anchored with local producers and seasonal products.
Seaside: an exceptional moment on the beach where you reserve your deckchair and sunbeds with “Riviera chic” striped fabrics!
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Assured success on the rails of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Delighting travelers in need of a cruise on a legendary train, with a valiant heart (and palate), nothing is impossible! Because the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is carried by the golden age of travel, we owe to Veuve Clicquot the orchestration of a “solar journey” from Vienna to Reims (headquarters of the Champagne house) during the summer of 2024. On the program? The gourmet signature of a starred dinner by Jean Imbert with tasting of the best champagne vintages including “La Grande Dame Rosé”.
And the collaboration continues to celebrate the holidays at the end of this year 2024. Immediate boarding aboard the ultra-luxurious cabins of the Belmond! Nespresso, the brand dear to the chef who succeeds in everything, offers coffee lovers the flavors of its new collection. Pack your bags and get ready for a Wonderful Odyssey, the festive range of exclusive coffees inspired by the legendary art of Belmond travel and signed by Jean Imbert is to be discovered aboard the mythical trains. Those who love him will take the train!■
Almond Croissant Flavour, a coffee inspired by an original idea of Jean Imbert transports you to the heart of Paris revealing notes of almond and buttery pastry evoking the taste of Paris.
The luxury of the cabins of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Hôtel Plaza Athénée 25, avenue Montaigne 75008 Paris. Tel: 01 53 67 66 65 and www.dorchestercollection.com
A Belmond Train Europe: www.belmond.com and www.veuveclicquot.com
