Manon FLEURY

Chef : Datil After an unconventional career path, Manon Fleury, who heads Datil in Paris, has established herself as one of the most dedicated figures in the culinary world.

Presentation

Nothing suggested that Manon Fleury would become a chef. A native of Dijon, she was passionate about fencing and distinguished herself by becoming the French junior sabre champion and the French team runner-up. After earning a general high school diploma and completing a preparatory year for the grandes écoles, she set her sights on culinary journalism but ultimately switched to cooking, her lifelong passion. Manon trained at CFA Médéric and then at Ferrandi, honed her skills under William Ledeuil (Ze Kitchen Galerie) and Alexandre Couillon (La Marine), and went on to work at L’Astrance, where Pascal Barbot taught her discipline and creativity. Her experience in New York, at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, proved pivotal. It was there that Dan Barber introduced her to the “farm-to-table” movement and the importance of plant-based ingredients.

Upon her return to Paris, Manon took the position of head chef at Mermoz, where she practiced sustainable, waste-reducing cuisine based on local, plant-forward ingredients, believing that “you can create a gourmet dish with vegetables or grains.”

Although the pandemic temporarily delayed her plans, the young chef bounced back in 2021 by taking the helm at the restaurant Elsa in Monaco, followed by Le Perchoir in Ménilmontant. She opened her own restaurant, Datil, in 2023 in the Marais.

A Deeply Committed Chef

Manon champions a cuisine that is inventive, sensitive, accessible, connected to nature, and plant-based (though she doesn’t shy away from a touch of animal protein). To achieve this, she has forged strong partnerships with producers and market gardeners. “Datil is an extension of their work , ” says the chef, who has also just launched a special vintage with winemaker Mylène Bru. Short supply chains, seasonality, “zero-waste” cooking, and raising awareness about the role of gastronomy in preserving the planet—these are the things that drive the chef.

A competitor at heart, she sees herself as a team leader and not just a head chef. Her kitchen staff is overwhelmingly female. This is a deliberate choice and a conscious effort by Manon Fleury, who embodies a commitment to increasing the number of women in the profession within a sector that remains very male-dominated. At the same time, the chef co-founded “bondir.e,” an organization that combats violence in the kitchen by working primarily with culinary schools. Further proof of her commitment to bringing about change!