What’s behind the recent shake-up of the menus at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester?
For many years, we offered a £285 seven-course tasting menu only. That is the right option for about 85% of our customers, but over the past few years we’ve noticed a change in attitude from some of our guests, particularly those who visit this sort of restaurant regularly. Some diners want a very high-quality experience that doesn’t take three hours. So we’ve introduced a shorter five-course tasting menu and a three-course à la carte menu. The latter can be served within one hour, if that is what the guest requires. This approach also gives us a more accessible price point. We do five dinner services per week (Tuesday to Saturday), offering seatings between 6pm and 9.30pm.
Why have you dropped lunch?
We haven’t served lunch since Covid hit. Before the pandemic, and also Brexit, we were open for lunch and dinner most days. We had a lot of business lunches, but that has nearly all disappeared now. In 2018, our lunch menu was just £65 including two glasses of wine. That just wouldn’t be possible now due to rising costs, especially staffing. A big benefit of being open evenings only is that the staff can come in around 12pm most days, which makes for a much happier team. We wouldn’t rule out bringing back lunch at some point, but it’s working well for us at the moment.
You have worked for Mr Ducasse for a very long time...
I started with him when I was 22 (he is now 42). I’ve never really worked for anyone else. I’m very loyal. I was born and raised on the French Riviera in Nice. I did six years at hospitality school and went straight into Mr Ducasse’s group (Ducasse Paris) in a commis chef role. I worked in London very early in my career at Spoon at the Sanderson Hotel (now Berners Tavern). We had a Michelin star, but it wasn’t really fine dining because we did 200 covers a service. From there, I went to Le Louis XV (Ducasse’s three-star restaurant in Monaco). It was a very difficult transition for me because the food was much more refined and exacting, but I managed three years there. After working for Mr Ducasse in Asia, I returned to London to work at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester under Jocelyn Herland as his number two. I took over from him as executive chef in 2015.
What’s it like to be responsible for another chef’s three stars?
It is a high-pressure role, but I also feel proud to be running a beautiful restaurant within an iconic London hotel. But it’s not just about Mr Ducasse. I need to meet the expectations of the guests and look after the 45 full-time members of staff here. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I love it.
How would you describe your management style?
The key thing with a restaurant at this level is to surround yourself with the right people. I’m confident in my team’s ability, but I do check everything back and front of house. That said, I’m less strict and serious than I used to be. Kitchens such as these used to be run in a military way, but we’ve had to adapt our management style to a new generation of chefs. The level and the expectation are the same, but the approach is friendlier and we give the team more explanation.
Mr Ducasse has three flagship restaurants. Is it intended for the food to be similar at each one?
Not really. All of the restaurants within the group are different, with the exception of Benoit (a bistro concept that has several locations around the world). Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Le Louis XV, and Le Meurice (in Paris) share the same DNA and have a respect for the product and classical cooking, but we are free to bring our own personality to it. For example, Le Louis XV has a Mediterranean-inspired menu due to its location, while we are focused on produce sourced from the British Isles. Last year, we released a cookbook called ADN, which explores the cooking at the group’s top three restaurants.
How does Mr Ducasse oversee his flagship restaurants?
He has a corporate chef (Pascal Féraud) who I meet with every few months to exchange ideas. I speak with Mr Ducasse on the phone regularly, and he occasionally comes to the restaurant to do tastings. It’s always a very open conversation with him, and the discussions are always positive.
How do you find London?
I love London. I have a strong connection with the city. I miss the weather in the South of France, but London has so much going on. I met my wife here, and my son was born here too. There’s a certain symmetry as well, because my first proper job was in London.