Julien Dugourd

The Climb

The hotel-school base gave Julien Dugourd the kind of training that shows up later in the finish: consistency, timing, and control. As an apprentice at Hostellerie des Bas Rupts, the work would have been defined by the routines that make pastry reliable before it becomes expressive. At Auberge de l’Éridan in Annecy, he continued in a pastry team role, working through the daily structure of production, texture, and precision. Further pastry roles at La Ferme de mon Père in Megève and L’Arnsbourg added to that technical foundation, each house marking another stage in the same progression. Taken together, those posts map a clear apprenticeship-to-leadership line, with pastry language shaped by exacting dining rooms rather than shortcuts. From 2010–2022, he served as head pastry chef at La Chèvre d’Or in Èze, a long run that anchored his work in one house for more than a decade. Since 2021, he has been creative partner for desserts and Afternoon Tea of Mandarin Oriental, Paris, where dessert sits within the broader rhythm of hospitality. Since 2023, he has also been founder and pastry chef of Pâtisserie Julien Dugourd.

Today

In 2023, he founded and opened Pâtisserie Julien Dugourd in Nice, France, placing his name on a dedicated pastry address. He also partners on desserts and Afternoon Tea at Mandarin Oriental, Paris, where pastry is built to respond to place as much as to method. One dessert nods to the hotel’s rooftop hives: “This egg is a hive. It is a direct tribute to the hives installed on the roof of Mandarin Oriental, Paris, and to that honey that we produce and use in our creations.”

Signature

Julien's signature dishes include Vanilla Diorama, Citron signature, and Exotic jasmine inverted tart. The trio points to a pastry hand that works by clarity and contrast: familiar flavors tightened into precise forms, with floral and citrus notes kept clean rather than crowded.

In Their Words “This egg is a hive. It is a direct tribute to the hives installed on the roof of Mandarin Oriental, Paris, and to that honey that we produce and use in our creations.” “I wanted to do this job from a very young age, so I started with a CAP in cooking at hotel school.”