Written by On March 22, Chef Julien Dumas was awarded a Michelin star for Bellefeuille, the new restaurant at the Saint James Paris hotel. The six-month-old Bellefeuille is part of the rebirth of the Saint James Paris hotel and private club, the only chateau-hotel in Paris, which has just completed a total renovation to its interiors, gardens, spa and restaurants.
“We are thrilled for Chef Dumas and his beautiful Bellefeuille,” says General Manager Laure Pertusier. “His elegant and unexpected cuisine, and his warm rapport with guests and members, perfectly compliment the Saint James Paris experience.”
Chef Dumas’ concept for the cuisine at Bellefeuille is entirely seasonal and dedicated to nature. He credits his purveyor-partners, who help him realize this vision.
“I am very happy to pursue the path of the stars,” says Dumas of his Michelin recognition. “This distinction rewards my work but also that of the teams and the producers who accompany me daily.”
Chef Dumas is fully committed to preserving biodiversity. Through constant sourcing work, he favors artisans of land and sea who practice responsible methods – pollock and mackerel fished by Ondine Morin on Ouessant Island; seaweed and marine herbs harvested by Jean-Marie Pédron; poultry raised by Bénédicte Poiseau in the Perche region – all purveyors whom Dumas knows and works closely with to create his menus. Market gardeners, fishmongers and breeders who all have exceptional know-how and share Dumas’ demanding vision of excellence. Vegetables are grown in the hotel’s organic garden south of Paris and brought to the Saint James by electric van; honey comes from hives on property.
With these exceptional ingredients, Dumas has invented his own definition of gastronomy. His dishes are the interpretation of the ephemeral, of sunlight or stars in a given season, of childhood memories, often sourcing ingredients from a small area to give dishes a precise terroir of flavors. His members-only lunch and evening tasting menus (at a choice of six or nine courses) are served in the circular dining room with views to the hotel’s private gardens.
Interior designer Laura Gonzalez created a sublime “winter garden” ambiance that blurs the line between indoors and out, deftly complimenting Dumas’ vision for Bellefeuille through a palette of greens and soft yellows and nature-inspired wallpaper, fabrics, ceramics, fixtures and even silverware from French artisans.
From the dining room, guests may watch Dumas at work meticulously plating the dishes through the open doors to the kitchen. His elegant, precise plating borrowing from the Japanese art of kaiseki ryôri, where several extremely refined dishes are arranged to form a visual and taste composition of rare harmony.
Prior to joining Saint James, Dumas was chef at Paris’ Lucas Carton restaurant, where he earned one Michelin star.