International
Nicolas FONTAINE
Chef : 2 restaurants A disciple of Pierre Gagnaire, Nicolas Fontaine has been loyal to him since 2005. In his own name but with his own touch, the chef now runs the Maison Albar - L'Imperator restaurants in Nîmes.
"My grandmother, who had ten brothers and sisters, loved to gather them around a good table. It was this spirit of conviviality that inspired me to take up cooking," confides Nicolas Fontaine. He entered the Lycée Hôtelier in Saint-Chély-d'Apcher (Lozère), where he obtained his BEP. He continued his studies at the CFA in Béziers. In 2002, after graduating with a BTS, he began his career as a commis at Michel Kayser's Alexandre restaurant in Garons (Gard).
In 2005, Nicolas Fontaine met Pierre Gagnaire, whom he never left. He joined the brigade at his gastronomic restaurant. He also helped open Gaya in Paris. Motivated, he progressed to the position of sous-chef in 2008, under the guidance of Guillaume Delage. Before being appointed head chef in 2010, at just 24 years of age, he returned to his mentor to hone his technique.
The two men hit it off. Pierre Gagnaire then offered him the opportunity to work on his behalf on pharaonic banquets in Taiwan and Côte d'Ivoire. In 2016, Nicolas Fontaine even opened Bernard Magrez's La Grande Maison restaurant in Bordeaux, followed by Le Gaya in La Rochelle in 2017. Finally, in 2019, as executive chef, he will open the Maison Albar - L'Imperator restaurants in Nîmes: Duende and the L'Impé brasserie. Here, he offers an uninhibited cuisine focused mainly on the Camargue and Cévennes regions. "In all the years I've spent working alongside Pierre Gagnaire, routine has been foreign to me. We're constantly evolving."
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