International
Clément LESSOUD
Chef : 1 restaurant Born and bred in Toulouse, Clément Lessoud returned to the Pink City to open Hortùs. His success has been rewarded with the Cuisine de la Mer, des Lacs et des Rivières Occitanie 2024 trophy.
The grandson of a baker, Clément Lessoud has always been drawn to cooking, thanks in particular to the culinary shows he never misses on TV, even before the "Top Chef" phenomenon came into being. "I could have stayed in Toulouse, but I wanted to break free, so I enrolled at the Lycée Hôtelier in Lourdes and its boarding school. I then came back to Toulouse to take the 'turbo' bac pro at the Lycée Cluny, where you live and think exclusively about cooking, with lots of hands-on practice of course, but also courses on the history of cooking and great chefs."
A breakthrough at Émile in Toulouse
After several successful experiences - at Relais de la Poste in Magescq (Landes), Château de Salettes (Tarn) and Robuchon's in London - Clément Lessoud joined the Émile establishment in Toulouse for three years, where, he admits, he was "going to work hard and learn a lot, in a demanding but caring atmosphere. I have fond memories of my time at Place Saint-Georges.
A rewarding experience at Ludovic Turac
But the desire to see the country tickled him, and he soon joined Ludovic Turac (Grand de Demain Gault&Millau 2024) at the corner of the Vieux-Port, in Marseille. "I worked alongside him for five years at Une Table au Sud. I really enjoyed my life in Marseille, and Ludovic was invaluable with his advice when I told him I wanted to set up my own business."
Hortùs to open in 2023
The restaurant Colette (Philippe Braun's former Chez Fifi) is up for sale, and Clément Lessoud is scraping the bottom of the barrel to raise the money needed to buy it. "I've even sold my car to increase my contribution. Our first seasons at Hortùs have been excellent, we're making progress without burning any bridges, we're hiring and looking to the future with confidence and greed. "At Gault&Millau, our feedback is also excellent, as evidenced by the Cuisine de la Mer, des Lacs et des Rivières Occitanie 2024 award for this demanding restaurant.
Its restaurants
Its recipes
Our partners
Food products, kitchen equipment, tableware, service solutions...
See the full list of partners who place their trust in Gault&Millau
All our partners
