Thibaut Gamba

Coming Up

The early part of Thibaut Gamba’s career runs through service positions that demand speed, precision, and the ability to stay useful under pressure. As chef de partie tournant at Lasserre, he worked in a rotating role that rewards adaptability as much as technical control. He then moved through a set of kitchens that each added a different register: chef at Balzac (Pierre Gagnaire) in Paris, chef at Per Se in New York, and later chef at restaurant in Bergen. Read together, those posts show a cook shaped across different rooms, each one asking for a clear plate, disciplined timing, and a sharp response to the dining room’s pace. Leadership came next in more fixed forms. Thibaut Gamba served as catering director and Head Chef at Clarance Hotel (2017), then as Head Chef at La Table du Clarance in Lille (2017–2023). That six-year stretch gave continuity a real role in the work: a kitchen identity can settle only through repetition, season after season, and a chef’s voice often becomes clearer when the house is allowed to hold it over time. Since 2023, he has been chef at Logis de la Cadène in Saint-Émilion.

Where They Are Now

At Logis de la Cadène since 2023, Thibaut Gamba cooks with a stated preference for clarity, lift, and direct flavor. The emphasis is on the first contact at the table: acidity, citrus, and a sense that the dish should already be moving when it reaches the diner. His own phrasing is concise: "I love acidity. I love citrus to always have something happening on the first bite." That line points to a kitchen logic built around immediacy. The first bite is where the structure has to show itself, where brightness can cut through weight and set the tone for what follows. In Gamba’s terms, acidity and citrus are not supporting notes; they are the mechanism that keeps a plate active from the outset.

In Their Words “I am deeply passionate about this profession because I love to surprise and bring joy. I love sharing my passion and conveying the true essence of taste—the kind that evokes emotions and awakens the senses.” The statement reads as a direct account of what the work is meant to do in the room. Surprise, joy, and shared taste are presented as practical outcomes of the kitchen, not as abstractions. What comes through is a chef concerned with effect: how a dish lands, how it moves a diner, and how flavor can do more than satisfy hunger. “I love acidity. I love citrus to always have something happening on the first bite.” That sentence is the clearest summary of his cooking language. It places the burden on the opening moment of a dish, where contrast and brightness have to register fast. The wording is plain, and that plainness is useful: it tells you exactly where the energy is meant to be.