Daniel Boulud

Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud
Born	March 25, 1955 (age 71); Near Lyon, France
Occupation(s)	Chef, restaurateur
Known for	Daniel (restaurant)

Daniel Boulud (born March 25, 1955) is a renowned French chef and restaurateur with an international footprint, managing establishments across New York City, Palm Beach, Miami, Toronto, Montréal, Singapore, the Bahamas, and Dubai. He is most recognized for his premier dining venue, Daniel, which debuted in New York City in 1993 and currently holds one prestigious Michelin star.

Originating from a farm near Lyon and having honed his skills under distinguished French culinary masters, Boulud built his reputation initially as a chef and subsequently as a restaurateur in New York. His enterprise, The Dinex Group, operates fifteen restaurants alongside three gourmet café locations branded Épicerie Boulud, plus Feast & Fêtes Catering. Notable venues within his portfolio include Daniel, Le Pavillon, Le Gratin, Café Boulud, Maison Boulud, Joji and Joji Box, db bistro, Bar Boulud, and Boulud Sud.

Culinary background

At the age of fifteen, Boulud achieved early acclaim as a finalist in France’s Best Culinary Apprentice contest. His training took place under the guidance of Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc, and Michel Guérard in France, followed by further experience in Copenhagen. Subsequently, he served as the private chef for the European Commission in Washington, D.C.

Upon moving to New York City, he launched the Polo Lounge at The Westbury Hotel and Le Régence at the Hotel Plaza Athénée. Between 1986 and 1992, he held the position of executive chef at the esteemed Le Cirque.

Restaurants

In 1993, Boulud introduced Daniel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side before relocating it in 1998 to a Park Avenue location inspired by Venetian Renaissance architecture. The initial site transformed into Café Boulud. In 2001, he unveiled db Bistro Moderne in Manhattan’s theater district—a more relaxed dining option. Its $29 burger, crafted with braised short ribs, truffles, and foie gras, became emblematic of upscale American cuisine trends and inspired other chefs to incorporate gourmet burgers on their menus. Later versions priced at $59 and $99 featured shaved truffles.

Café Boulud expanded to Palm Beach, Florida in 2003. Bar Boulud, a French bistro near Lincoln Center in New York City, opened its doors in 2008. The Pan-European brasserie DBGB Kitchen & Bar debuted in 2009. His first European venture came with Bar Boulud London inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in 2010.

The year 2011 marked several new openings: db Bistro & Oyster Bar at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore; Maison Boulud at Montreal’s Ritz-Carlton; Boulud Sud adjacent to Bar Boulud; and Épicerie Boulud—a market and deli concept. In 2012, d|bar was launched at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel. A third Épicerie Boulud location opened within the Oculus World Trade Center in 2016.

Boulud inaugurated db Brasserie at The Palazzo in April 2014 but ceased operations there by January 2017 due to differing visions with the hotel/casino.

Around 2018, he collaborated with MIT entrepreneurs to develop Spyce Kitchen—a robotic restaurant based in Boston where he curated the menu. Following its valuation surpassing one billion dollars, Spyce was acquired by Sweetgreen at the end of 2021.

In May 2021, Le Pavillon opened as a Michelin-starred establishment located within Midtown Manhattan’s One Vanderbilt skyscraper.

By March 2023, Boulud assumed leadership over dining operations and menu development for Centurion New York—an exclusive American Express members-only restaurant. Shortly thereafter that spring, he launched Blue Box Café inside Tiffany & Co.’s New York City flagship store.

May 2022 witnessed the debut of Le Gratin in New York’s Financial District as a tribute to his French culinary heritage. September 2022 introduced Jōji—an omakase dining experience situated beneath Le Pavillon at One Vanderbilt. Following a pandemic-related hiatus, Café Boulud NY is slated to reopen in 2023.

In November 2024, Boulud unveiled La Tête d'Or—his inaugural steakhouse—situated within Manhattan’s Flatiron District.

Smoked salmon

Since 2014, Boulud has developed a distinctive range of prepackaged smoked salmon, which was originally available exclusively through Whole Foods but has since expanded to several upscale food retailers.

Awards

Ranked among the top ten dining establishments worldwide by the International Herald Tribune, Daniel has received numerous prestigious honors, including Gourmet’s Top Table Award, a four-star distinction from The New York Times, the Grand Award from Wine Spectator, and leading Zagat scores for its cuisine, service, and ambiance. In 2010, it was honored with the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant and was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame in 2013. The restaurant earned two Michelin stars as of 2015 and was recognized with La Liste’s 2023 Innovation Award as one of the top 1,000 restaurants worldwide.

Boulud received the first Best New Chefs award in 1988 and has been designated Chef of the Year by Bon Appétit. He was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef New York City in 1992 during his tenure at Le Cirque, followed by honors as "Outstanding Chef of the Year" in 1994 and "Outstanding Restaurateur" in 2006 for his work at Daniel. In 2007, he was presented with the Culinary Humanitarian Award by the United Nations. France recognized his contributions to French culture by naming him Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 2006. Additional accolades include the International Outstanding Achievement Award at The Catey Awards in 2015 and a Lifetime Achievement award from The World's 50 Best Restaurants. In 2021, Les Grandes Tables du Monde acknowledged him as the world’s leading restaurateur for his flagship establishment Daniel.

Television

Boulud previously hosted After Hours with Daniel, a program revealing behind-the-scenes moments of chefs preparing late-night meals. He has appeared on Great Chefs and was featured on the Canadian show Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag, where his cookbook Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City received the program's "A & K Stamp of Approval." Additionally, he acted as a guest judge on Seasons 1 and 3 of Top Chef Canada.

His television appearances include playing himself on the drama series Billions during seasons 3 and 6, as well as a role in the season three premiere of FX on Hulu’s The Bear (2024).

Community involvement

Since 2013, Boulud has served as Co-President of Citymeals-on-Wheels, a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering meals to homebound seniors in New York City, having been a board member since 2000. His annual Sunday Supper gala, initiated in 1998, has generated over $12 million to support this cause.

In 2005, Boulud’s business associate, Joel Smilow, founded the Daniel Boulud Scholarship Endowment Fund to assist talented American culinary students pursuing studies in France.

At the invitation of Paul Bocuse in 2008, Boulud contributed to establishing the selection process for Bocuse d'Or Team USA. Along with Thomas Keller and Jérôme Bocuse, he is part of the Board of Directors for the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation, which launched its first competition that year.

Legal issues

In 2007, Daniel Boulud was subject to a lawsuit brought by both current and former staff members who accused his premier Manhattan establishment of discriminatory employment practices. Investigations were conducted by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alongside the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York state Attorney General's office. The dispute concluded with Boulud reaching a settlement involving seven employees of Latin American and Bangladeshi heritage, agreeing to pay $80,000 and to introduce promotion policies monitored by the EEOC and state regulators.

Books

Cooking with Daniel Boulud (1993)
Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook (1999)
The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud's Celebrated New York Restaurant (2002) by Leslie Brenner, providing an in-depth look at Boulud’s kitchen
Daniel Boulud Cooking in New York City (2002)
Daniel's Dish, Entertaining at Home with a Four Star Chef (2003)
Letters to a Young Chef (2003)
Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine (2006)
Daniel – My French Cuisine (2013), co-written by Boulud, Sylvie Bigar, Thomas Schauer, featuring contributions from Bill Buford

External links