Skip to main content
European Union flag European Union flag
Taste The Ocean

David Gallienne

It is important for future generations to respect the seabed, fish sizes, and also to respect reproduction periods. That is why I have chosen the sea bream, it meets all the criteria, in collaboration with our local fishermen, so we are all on the same page.

David Gallienne

About the chef

David Gallienne

In the world of chefs, it is often said that the influence of mothers or grandmothers triggers a vocation. For David, it was his grandfather who early on made him determined to pursue a career in the restaurant business. He had his own garden, his poultry and took his grandson hunting, fishing, to pick mushrooms and to collect snails, enough to impart to his grandson his strong relationship with nature and, logically, to good food.

When it came to choosing his further education, his parents accepted David's choice of hotel school. But the young man wanted to get into the real thing right away. He managed to convince them to do an apprenticeship and joined the restaurant L'Escargot Doré in the south of the city of Alençon where he grew up. After that, he obtained the diploma of 'BEP Hôtellerie-Restauration'.

Determined to persevere on this path, he joined LeManoir du Lys, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Bagnoles-de-l'Orne as part of his preparation for the Brevet Professionnel de Cuisine. Then, at the same time in 2007, he entered the Olympiad des Métiers competition and won the title of Vice-Champion of France, which opened the doors to an international final in Japan. In the meantime, his career continued at LeManoir du Lys, where after 10 years, he had climbed all the ranks of the team and knew all the job roles.

In December 2017, David accepted the offer to become the chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Jardin des Plumes. Two years later, he became the owner of the restaurant, still keeping its Michelin star to date.

Early 2019, David received an invitation to take part in the tests for Top Chef on tv-channel M6. Half a year later, he wins the 11th season of this highly popular tv contest.