Dominique Crenn's new project in France

Mathilde Bourge | 10/29/24

Starting in 2025, Dominique Crenn and Les Bateaux Belmond are teaming up to offer gourmet cruises through the French countryside. A new project that will enable the chef to maintain a link with France.

Dominique Crenn is determined to keep one foot firmly planted in France. The San Francisco-based chef of Atelier Crenn signed up for her first French menu in 2023, at the Hôtel La Fantaisie in Paris. She was also a member of the Top Chef jury in season 15. A year later, Dominique Crenn has left the Parisian hotel and will not be appearing on the cast of season 16 of the M6 show. But the chef hasn't said her last word, and will soon be back with a project.

A gastronomic cruise by Dominique Crenn

For the 2025 season, Les Bateaux Belmond, the famous collection of seven luxury villa boats plying the rivers and canals of France, is teaming up with Dominique Crenn. This collaboration promises an immersion in France's haute gastronomy and wine heritage, offering never-before-seen cruises on the waters of Burgundy, Champagne and the South of France.

Dominique Crenn, known for her restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, has been chosen as the season's guest chef. She will propose two signature menus to accompany the cruises in three of France's finest wine regions. Designed to match the seasons and terroirs traversed, these menus will pay tribute to the local specialties of each region.

"I am delighted to collaborate with Les Bateaux Belmond to offer a unique gastronomic experience that marries the beauty of the French countryside with my culinary vision. The menus I have developed celebrate local products and ancestral techniques, while honoring the heritage of these magnificent regions. With Belmond, I hope to create unforgettable memories through emotionally rich cuisine," says the chef, who grew up in Brittany.

Chefs and producers have always worked hand in hand. Samuel Gaspar, head chef at Château d'Audrieu, and Jean Petrich, manager of Domaine de la Flaguerie in Ducy-Sainte-Marguerite, are just two examples of the kind of partnership that has developed in the heart of Normandy's terroir.

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