Camille Saint-M'leux leaves Villa9Trois for a good reason

He's one of the most talked-about young chefs of recent years. After "three wonderful years at Villa9Trois" (2 toques), Camille Saint-M'leux is leaving his position as chef to "fly [his] own flag and open [his] own restaurant", he tells us. Where will this new adventure take place? Here are a few clues

Where will Camille Saint-M'leux's restaurant be located?

A new page has been turned for Camille Saint-M'leux, who has only "great memories of my first experience as a chef": "The bosses trusted me when I was just 25. It was a big gamble for them and for me too, because at the time it was a restaurant with 100 covers, and they agreed to follow my wishes. tofollow my wishes, i.e. to push towards quality, reduce the number of tables and make a gastronomic transition", he recalls. "These efforts were quickly noticed, so it's great! It's an experience that will forever mark my career. It was quite unique, because I was working with a majority of people who basically had no hotel training, with a lot of foreigners or political refugees. We really created a great team united in our quest for quality", stresses the young chef, who nevertheless admits to having reached the "end of a cycle". "Today,I want to open my own restaurant."

At 28, the young chef from Nantes has no intention of moving away from the Paris region. On the contrary, after three years in the suburbs, Camille Saint-M'leux is keen to set up in the very heart of the capital. "I didn't give myself many constraints in terms of location, apart from being in Paris. I really liked being in Montreuil, but I saw how hard it was to get people to come to the outskirts, and for a first restaurant, I don't want that," he admits. "I'll adapt later if I fall in love with the place. I don't want to say any more before everything is officially signed, I'm a bit superstitious, but normally, it'll be a 28-seat restaurant, a little showcase", he says.

Another subject close to her heart is the decoration of her restaurant. "I grew up with an architect mom, who took me to lots of museums and introduced me to design. I have this sensitivity, and I'm convinced that the experience isn't complete if there isn't coherence between the dining room and the plate," maintains Camille Saint-M'leux.

For its part, Villa9Trois has already found its replacement. Yaël Demarbre, a young chef with experience at the Auberge du Cheval Blanc, La Villa René Lalique and La Maison Lameloise, took up residence in the gourmet restaurant on the 1st. Stay tuned for more news on the adventures of Camille Saint-M'leux.