Nominees in the 2027 Chef of the Year category

Each year, six categories recognize the talents of the culinary scene identified by Gault&Millau. Four chefs have stood out for their creativity, vision, and expertise: they are now in the running for the 2027 Chef of the Year award.

Jérôme Banctel, of Le Gabriel and La Pagode de Cos

Jérôme Banctel, born in Rennes in 1971, trained under such renowned chefs as André Daguin, Michel Kéréver, Christian Constant, and Bernard Pacaud at L’Ambroisie, and later under Alain Senderens, serving as his sous chef at Lucas Carton until 2013. Since 2015, he has led the kitchens at La Réserve Paris, which includes Le Gabriel (4 toques) and La Pagode de Cos (2 toques). His contemporary and precise cuisine is based on seasonal ingredients, cooking with lime, and sauces made without butter or cream.

• See the Gault&Millau reviews for Le Gabriel and La Pagode de Cos
• View Jérôme Banctel’s Instagram account

Philippe Mille, of the Arbane restaurant in Reims

Philippe Mille, the grandson of farmers from the Sarthe region, trained under some of the industry’s leading figures—including Yannick Alléno for seven years—and was named Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2011. After fifteen years at Les Crayères in Reims, he opened Arbane (4 toques) in the spring of 2024, in a former bank built in 1874 whose vaults now house the wines. His cuisine explores the seven Champagne grape varieties, cooking techniques using vine shoots, and seafood.

• See the Gault&Millau review of Arbane
• View Philippe Mille’s Instagram account

Julien Roucheteau, of Restaurant des Rois in Beaulieu-sur-Mer

Julien Roucheteau, the son of a butcher and grandson of farmers, chose a career in cooking after an apprenticeship at the Maison de l’Aubrac and graduating at the top of his class from the Ferrandi culinary school. Trained at Le Cinq at the George V, then at the Lancaster under Michel Troisgros—where he became executive chef in 2012—he earned the blue-white-red collar of Meilleur Ouvrier de France on his second attempt. Since 2019, he has led the culinary team at La Réserve de Beaulieu, where, at the Restaurant des Rois (4 toques), he creates Mediterranean cuisine characterized by lightness, acidity, and local ingredients.

• See the Gault&Millau review of Restaurant des Rois
• View Julien Roucheteau’s Instagram account

David Toutain, of Restaurant David Toutain in Paris

David Toutain, born in 1981 in the Orne department and raised on his family’s farm, trained under Marc Veyrat,Alain Passard at L’Arpège, Bernard Pacaud, and Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz. After Agapé Substance in 2011, he opened Restaurant David Toutain (4 toques) on Rue Surcouf in Paris in late 2013. His cuisine, inspired by nature and herbs from the garden, is among the most imaginative in the capital. Since 2022, he has also been creating the menu at Feuille in Hong Kong.

• See the Gault&Millau review of Restaurant David Toutain
• View David Toutain’s Instagram account

“It doesn’t stop life; it doesn’t stop your career—on the contrary, it propels it forward. And all the ‘Chefs of the Year’ I’ve known—and it’s been quite a while now—all say the same thing: something is happening. There’s a ‘before’ and there’s an ‘after,’ so I ask all four of you to savor this moment and enjoy November 9. ” said Marc Esquerré, director of research, during the press conference held on Monday, September 28, 2026, at the Atelier du Goût.