Patrick Raingeard

The Philosophy Raingeard’s stated compass is classical without being fixed in place. Escoffier, for him, is not a museum figure but a working reference, a way back into structure and taste: "For me, Auguste Escoffier represents modern cuisine — a source of inspiration and a motivating force; we all keep his book by our bedside so we can revisit the classics." That regard for the base of cooking appears just as clearly in his attachment to the less showy parts of the craft. "I love stocks, sauces, and that side of the craft," he has said, placing value on the patient work that often determines whether a dish feels complete. At Cap Estel in Èze-Bord-de-Mer, France, his cooking was described through a contemporary, seasonal style focused on seafood and local products, with clear respect for good-quality ingredients and sustainable fishing. The emphasis matters: fish and produce were not treated as decorative luxury, but as materials whose quality and sourcing shaped the plate before technique entered the conversation.

In Practice In 2012, Raingeard was chef at Hôtel Cap Estel in Èze-Bord-de-Mer, France. He later served as Executive Chef at Cap Estel, where the restaurant connected his name directly to one of its defining tables: La Table de Patrick Raingeard. The recognition arrived with precision. In 2013, the Michelin Guide awarded a star to La Table de Patrick Raingeard at Cap Estel. That same year, Gault & Millau awarded Golden PACA to the restaurant, while Cap Estel also received 3 toques and favorites from Gault & Millau. One dish gives the work a more personal outline: brandade de volaille, described as one of Raingeard’s mythical signature dishes at Père & Fils Raingeard in Contes, France. The name alone suggests a cook interested in form, memory, and transformation — poultry approached through the language of brandade, a familiar preparation made strange again by the hand behind it. Now at La Salinera in Palamós, Spain, Raingeard carries a résumé marked by French Riviera kitchens, guide recognition, and a vocabulary of seafood, season, sauces, and careful sourcing. The move to Palamós places that vocabulary in a Spanish coastal setting, while the through-line remains the craft he has named plainly: stocks, sauces, classics revisited, and ingredients treated with restraint.

In Their Words "I love stocks, sauces, and that side of the craft." "For me, Auguste Escoffier represents modern cuisine — a source of inspiration and a motivating force; we all keep his book by our bedside so we can revisit the classics."