There was a time when no other nation could hold a candle to France’s culinary might. The country practically invented Western cooking as we know it today, and its gilded restaurants were true temples to gastronomy. But recently, it seems the rest of the world has caught up a bit. In the UK especially, our tastes have grown more varied and perhaps moved away from the heavy butter and cream-based cuisine we typically associate with French cooking. It’s also perhaps down to the French themselves; many believe that they rested on their culinary laurels a little too much, ignoring what’s going on elsewhere. As a result, more and more of us are choosing to go for vibrant Asian dishes or simple Italian classics over something unashamedly French.
Steeven Gilles wants to change that. As head chef of Céleste, The Lanesborough’s French restaurant, you’d be forgiven for writing the place off as another ode to the old school. But while it has the white tablecloths, the suited waiting staff and the seriously plush surroundings you’d expect to see in a fine dining institution in Paris, Steeven’s approach to cooking is by no means outdated. This is probably down to the fact that he’s young, has a love for travel and has spent time at The Ledbury, one of London’s most forward-thinking restaurants.
‘I’ve only ever worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, since I was fourteen years old,’ says Steeven, who grew up in the northeast of France. ‘For two years I worked with Eric Frechon at Epicure at Le Bristol in Paris, which holds three Michelin stars. This is where I learnt that the quality of the produce must come before anything else and how important seasoning can be. We would always use French techniques, but chef Frechon is more open-minded than some and would also use spices and things from other countries like Morocco.’
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The French food revival: Steeven Gilles at Céleste