Pastry chef
Philippe Conticini
- Discipline
- Pastry chef
i. Biography
French pastry chef Philippe Conticini has spent decades building a pastry language shaped by texture, memory, and contrast as much as sweetness. Born in 1963, and French, he spent much of his career at Petrossian restaurants before later taking the helm at Pâtisserie des Rêves. Across kitchens, consultancies, and television, Conticini kept refining a personal approach to dessert that remained recognisable across formats.
The Path
Training under Alain Dutournier's double Michelin-starred Trou Gascon and at Maxim's Roissy outlet placed Conticini in kitchens where discipline and exactitude set the standard. From there, his career moved through established addresses in French gastronomy. He worked as pastry assistant at Gray d'Albion in France from 1983–1985, then became pastry chef at Peltier in Paris from 1985, taking on greater responsibility as his profile grew. A long and defining stretch came at La Table d'Anvers, where Conticini was co-owner and head pastry chef from 1986–1998. That period gave him the room to shape a full pastry identity, not just individual desserts. During those years, he also broadened his practice beyond the dining room. From 1995, he served as cooking consultant at Materne, applying his point of view to a different kind of culinary brief. The turn of the century expanded that reach further. From 1999, Conticini became cooking consultant at Petrossian in Paris and New York, while also serving as head pastry chef at Petrossian in Paris from the same year. Those roles tied his name closely to the Petrossian restaurants and marked a polished phase in his work. He continued to move between projects: cooking consultant at Senoble from 2001–2005, then returned to work with Peltier pâtisseries at Peltier pâtisseries in Paris and Tokyo from 2002, extending his presence across two cities and two pastry contexts. His consulting work continued with cooking consultant at Ferrero in 2005–2005 and cooking consultant at Nestlé in 2006–2006, showing the range of businesses that sought his perspective. In parallel, he moved into broadcasting as creator and host at Jeux de Goûts in Cuisine TV / Odyssée from 2006, bringing his sensibility to the screen. Since 2009, Philippe has been founder and head pastry chef of Pâtisserie des Rêves, the most recent stage of a career that has balanced continuity with reinvention.
The Work Today
He is head pastry chef at Pâtisserie des Rêves. In that role, Conticini continues to work in a register of precision and delicacy, where pastry is composed rather than merely assembled. The position suits a chef whose work is grounded in technique and feeling, and whose presence in the kitchen still carries the confidence of long practice.
Career - Founder and head pastry chef — Pâtisserie des Rêves, France, Japan and the UK (2009–present) - Pastry assistant — Gray d'Albion, France (1983–1985) - Pastry chef — Peltier, Paris (from 1985) - Co-owner and head pastry chef — La Table d'Anvers (1986–1998) - Cooking consultant — Materne (from 1995) - Cooking consultant — Petrossian, Paris and New York (from 1999) - Head pastry chef — Petrossian, Paris (from 1999) - Cooking consultant — Senoble (2001–2005) - Returned to work with Peltier pâtisseries — Peltier pâtisseries, Paris and Tokyo (from 2002) Education: Alain Dutournier's double Michelin-starred Trou Gascon; Maxim's Roissy outlet
Signature
Philippe's signature dishes include verrines. The format suits a chef attentive to layers, contrasts, and visual clarity: a dessert or savory composition in a glass, revealed section by section, with each spoonful offering a different read. It matches Conticini’s wider reputation for structure and generous flavor.
Acclaim
Philippe's honors include Rated 17/20 by Gault Millau and awarded 1 Michelin star for work at La Table d'Anvers, Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, President of the jury of the Charles Proust competition, Named Best Paris-Brest in Paris, Knight of the Ordre National du
