Cyril Renaud
Proprietor/Executive Chef
Cyril Renaud is the Executive Chef and Proprietor of one of New York's prominent French restaurants, Fleur de Sel. Born in Nantes, Brittany, located on the northwest coast of France, food and family were an essential part of daily life for the Renaud family. Growing up, Cyril often assisted his mother in preparing meals and learned special techniques in working with fresh, seasonal Breton cuisine.
Inspired by his passion for cooking and food, Cyril enrolled at Les Sorbets vocational school in Brittany and began working in fine restaurants throughout Europe, with stints at Le Villard in Paris, L'Escalier du Palais Royal and La Villa Lorraine in Belgium and the London Hilton on Park Lane in England, among others. Looking to further his culinary skills, in 1991, he moved to New York City and began working at Cellar in the Sky.
In 1993, he met David Bouley and through their mutual
passion for flowers, they quickly became friends
and developed a professional association. For several
years, Cyril ran the kitchen of Bouley restaurant
as Chef de Cuisine. Then, in 1996 he became the
Executive Chef of La Caravelle, the famed New York
City French restaurant, where he was instrumental
in updating the cuisine while maintaining the restaurant's
timeless signature dishes. In 1998, he received
a three-star New York Times rating for
La Caravelle and later that year was nominated for
the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef
of the Year award. Although he enjoyed working
at La Caravelle, he longed to open his own French
restaurant.
In 2000, Cyril opted to bring his dream to reality
and opened Fleur de Sel. In order to bring his new
concept to life, Cyril made it a "family affair".
His father renovated the physical space while his
mother worked on the interior design and his wife
Brigette managed details and logistics for the opening.
To add a personal touch, Cyril hung his own paintings
in the dining room. With the restaurant's five-year
anniversary approaching the decor has been revamped
and has a more contemporary, sophisticated design.
Cyril's culinary vision for Fleur de Sel was to
capture the essence of seasonal ingredients while
highlighting the Breton food he grew up eating.
Additionally, he wanted to create a restaurant where
the staff and guests were a family and where beautiful
food, incredible wine, fresh flowers and inspirational
artwork could be enjoyed. Cyril's joie de vivre
is vibrant and lends itself to the welcoming ambience
at Fleur de Sel.
Of his restaurant venture, Cyril says, "Sometimes
I've felt like Fleur de Sel had its own momentum,
its own direction that was independent of me. This
has always been my restaurant, but it sometimes
breathes a life that engulfs me and the people who
love it. It takes us in directions we could not
have imagined. I love it. I love the energy, the
creativity and the hard work. To me, this is the
best life has to offer." Fleur de Sel has appeared
in Bon Appetit, The Daily News, Food Arts,
Forbes, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, The New
York Times, Time Out New York, Zagat and more.
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