i. Biography
Normandy land-and-sea cooking works inside a tight frame: pasture richness, coastal salinity, northern roots, and fish exposed directly to wood fire. In the cooking of Matthieu Pouleur, that frame is handled with restraint and precision. Local product carries the plate; garnish and technique stay in service of clear flavor. The Saint-Siméon table in Honfleur, France, is organized around terroir and elegant simplicity. Since 2019, that register has informed the work of Matthieu Pouleur as Executive Chef at La Ferme Saint Siméon and as head of kitchens of Collection Saint-Siméon – Relais & Châteaux. The cooking keeps Normandy produce central, carrying early values around high-quality local products into a more formal dining setting.
The Path
Grand French kitchen discipline is built through repetition, detail, and composure. At Restaurant du Crillon in Paris, France, Matthieu Pouleur trained and worked inside that structure before continuing at Relais Bernard Loiseau and Michel Bras, two exacting French tables where polish and control matter more than volume. Precision in a senior kitchen role depends on proportion as much as execution. As sous-chef at L’Écrin until 2019, Pouleur further refined a style in which technique is present but not foregrounded: seasoning kept in line, cooking kept clean, and the ingredient given enough room to register. Leadership across kitchens asks the same craft to hold under broader pressure. Since 2019, Matthieu Pouleur has been head of kitchens of Collection Saint-Siméon – Relais & Châteaux and chef of Les Impressionnistes, applying Parisian rigor and prior training to a Normandy-based cuisine anchored in Honfleur, France.
The Work Today
The current kitchen at La Ferme Saint Siméon in Honfleur, France, starts with local product and measured execution. As Executive Chef there, and as chef at Les Impressionnistes, Matthieu Pouleur and his team present refined cuisine built around Normandy products from both land and sea. Direct cooking gives little room to hide. Raw fish dishes depend on freshness, cut, and seasoning; fried options bring contrast and texture; spaghetti with clams needs timing and balance; fish grilled over a wood fire carries smoke, heat, and immediacy. Across these preparations, the chef’s hand stays controlled rather than heavy. The through-line is ingredient, heat, and timing. In Pouleur’s style, the essential gesture is the point: the right flame, the right moment, the right product. Normandy supplies the working vocabulary, and formal training supplies the structure. Land and sea function not as a theme, but as the daily source of flavor, rhythm, and identity.
Signature
A signature set should show range without breaking the house language. Matthieu Pouleur’s include pigeon supreme marinated in beer, spaghetti with clams, wood-fired fish, and raw fish dishes: meat with depth, shellfish with salinity, fish shaped by flame, and raw preparations that rely on clean handling. The shared method is elegant simplicity. Pigeon supreme marinated in beer carries richness and regional character; spaghetti with clams turns on timing and balance; wood-fired fish depends on the meeting of product and heat; raw fish dishes require restraint and confidence in the product.
In Their Words “Normandy is a region which is full of rich treasures and I really love to give pride of place to local produce in the kitchens at Ferme Saint Siméon. However, I never forget where I come from.”
Acclaim
Place-based cooking at Saint-Siméon is stated plainly in Matthieu Pouleur’s own terms: “Normandy is a region which is full of rich treasures and I really love to give pride of place to local produce in the kitchens at Ferme Saint Siméon. However, I never forget where I come from.” The recognition of this cuisine rests on alignment: memory, discipline, and Normandy products from land and sea moving in the same direction. At La Ferme Saint Siméon in Honfleur, France, and at Les Impressionnistes, Pouleur’s cooking is rooted in terroir, attentive to appetite, and built on the idea that high-quality local products need clarity before ornament.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Matthieu
What is Matthieu Pouleur's current role?
Matthieu Pouleur is Executive Chef at La Ferme Saint Siméon.
Where did Matthieu Pouleur work before?
Earlier in their career, Matthieu Pouleur worked at Restaurant du Crillon, Relais Bernard Loiseau, and Michel Bras.
What is Matthieu Pouleur known for?
He is associated with Normandy products from both land and sea.
