Eugénie BÉZIAT
Chef : Espadon - Ritz Paris Eugénie Béziat, chef at the Espadon restaurant at the Ritz Paris, has built her career on culinary exploration and taking risks. Her Italian-Spanish roots and her childhood in Africa now inspire her modern and refined cuisine.
Presentation
Eugénie Béziat grew up in Gabon, the Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire until she was 18. She then moved to France to study languages. But even while she was still in college, she was already imagining surprising flavor combinations in the kitchen. The turning point came during a meal at Hélène Darroze’s restaurant. “I still remember the dish and the immense emotion I felt.” After earning her DEUG in English and German, she moved to Cologne to work in the restaurant industry for a year of reflection. “And when I returned, I enrolled in a BTS program and became an apprentice at Restaurant 7 in Toulouse. Those two years allowed me to see everything and fill in the gaps in my knowledge.”
In 2006, she joined Michel Guérard’s team at Les Prés d’Eugénie. “He was the only role model I had.” A few months passed, and then she joined the Brasserie du Stade Toulousain. “I wanted to work in service and in a fine brasserie. There, I had a blast and worked my way up to the position of head de partie.” Michel Sarran noticed her and offered her a spot at his eponymous restaurant in Toulouse. She stayed there for four years and became his sous chef.
From Executive Chef to Creator
In 2015, after several internships at a fish market, a tripe shop, and at Maaemo in Oslo, Norway, she headed to Corsica. She settled in Saint-Florent, working for Yann Le Scavarec as sous-chef, then became executive chef at La Roya. “I spent three exceptional, intense years there. I emerged from those years as an executive chef with newfound self-confidence.” In 2018, she took over the restaurant La Flibuste, located within the Marina Baie des Anges. “Kitchen, dining room—I had carte blanche.”
In early 2022, Eugénie Béziat received a call: the Ritz wanted her. “I never for a moment considered turning it down.” And so, since September 2023, the chef has been at the helm ofL’Espadon, the luxury hotel’s fine-dining restaurant. Having earned a 16/20 rating, she serves cuisine inspired by her Italian-Spanish roots and her childhood in Africa.
Biography & Awards
