Daniel Boulud

Daniel Boulud grew up on his family's farm in Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu, outside Lyon, moved to the United States in 1982 and was executive chef of Le Cirque before opening Daniel on the Upper East Side in 1993. Through The Dinex Group, which he founded with Daniel, he runs New York restaurants including Le Pavillon, Café Boulud, Jōji, La Tête d'Or, Le Gratin and Brasserie Boulud, which opened across from Lincoln Center in fall 2026, along with restaurants in Montreal, Toronto, Singapore, Dubai and the Bahamas. In the 2025 Michelin Guide New York, Daniel, Le Pavillon, Café Boulud and Jōji each hold one star. His honors include James Beard Awards for Best Chef: New York City and Outstanding Chef, the World's 50 Best Restaurants Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and France's Légion d'honneur. He is co-president of Citymeals on Wheels and chairman of Ment'or, which gives grants to young American chefs.