Together with , Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux Gilles Dupont head up l’Auberge du Lion d’Or. Eloquent and with a twinkle in his eye, Gilles Dupont loves to meet new people. A daring and insatiably curious traveller, he makes use of his culture and knowledge in his art.Passionate about discovery, he sees the world as we see his dishes: each aroma is a different experience, each look a different exchange. He reserves only the best of his findings for sensory pleasures for all the senses. An experienced painter, he never fails to surprise, creating true harmony in the blend of colours and the aesthetics of his dishes.
Born in Annecy, not far fromGeneva, his first culinary experience was a work placement to earn a little pocket money. He studied at the hotel management school in Bonneville before completing his studies at Westminster Catering College, and found his breakwith Marc Veyrat at L’Eridan, at the London Hilton and at the Queen Elisabeth in Montreal.
The first time he worked as a chef was at Le Cygne restaurant at the Geneva Hilton. The restaurant had won two stars by the time he left in 1990. Then he became executive chef at the Hôtel du Rhône for its two restaurants and he won two new stars for one of them, the Neptune. In 1996 he became his own boss at L’Auberge du Lion d’Or in Coligny.
What was your most moving culinary experience?
At the “Quinta” restaurant in Rio de Janeiro where I ate a superb langoustine with locally-grown vegetables, a truly miraculous combination of local produce!The most amusing kitchen incident you ever witnessed?
Sending out a supreme of pheasant en croûte into the dining room without any pheasant!! You can just imagine the face of the head waiter who carved the pastry in front of the guests and sadly found it was empty!
Your best piece of advice for amateur chefs?
The main thing is not to be scared and to go with your intuition. Anything that you make with love just has to be good!!!
- Michelin star |Auberge du Lion d’Or
5, place Pierre-Gautier
CH-1223Cologny
Switzerland
+ 41 (0)22 736 44 32