About Le Bernardin

Le Bernardin, New York's internationally acclaimed four star seafood restaurant was born in Paris in 1972 by sibling duo Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze. Dedicated entirely to the cuisine of Gilbert Le Coze, the self-taught chef, it only served fish: fresh, simple and prepared with respect. Le Bernardin was named after an order of monks who liked to eat and drink, and a song about the monks that Gabriel Le Coze, Maguy and Gilbert's father, sang to them as children.

Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze were born and raised in the small village of Port Navalo in Brittany, France. Le Coze's parents owned and operated a small restaurant and inn, the Hotel de Rhuys. Gilbert received his cooking lessons by helping his grandfather and father in the kitchen and on the fishing boat while Maguy Le Coze worked alongside her mother in the dining room.

The dual combination of Gilbert's new cooking techniques — unheard of in the Haute Cuisine-obsessed salons of Paris' better restaurants in the early seventies—with Maguy's energy and drive in the dining room propelled Le Bernardin to one Michelin star in 1976. Considering that Le Bernardin was opened on a shoestring budget with Maguy and Gilbert's parents helping out in the kitchen as the only employees on opening night, the Michelin accolades were an incredible accomplishment.

Continuing its success story, in 1980 the restaurant moved to a larger location garnering two coveted Michelin stars. This was the highest acclaim for a seafood-only restaurant since the powerful Michelin organization reserves the right to bestow three stars to restaurants with menus that also offer meat, games, poultry and fish to its diners. Le Bernardin insisted on only serving the best fish, carving out a niche in the competitive restaurant world of Paris and establishing an international reputation.

Inspired by the triumph of Le Bernardin in Paris and its many American clients, the Le Coze's sought to open a Le Bernardin in New York in 1986. By again employing the technique of "divide and conquer", Maguy commanded the functions of the dining room and décor, while seafood virtuoso Gilbert took control of the kitchen.

In no time, Le Bernardin became renown for setting standards in the cooking of seafood in America. It received its first four star review from the New York Times only three months after opening—that's how much Gilbert's unconventional cooking had taken New Yorkers—and is the only New York four star restaurant that has maintained its status of excellence for more than 20 years. Subsequent reviews have come in 1989, 1995, and 2005 with the same verdict: Four stars.

After the unexpected death of her brother Gilbert in 1994, Maguy Le Coze has presided over Le Bernardin with co-owner, Chef Eric Ripert. Ripert has worked in some of the world's greatest kitchens, and under his watch, the restaurant continues to receive critical acclaim for its food and service, including top rankings in the Zagat guide and since 2005, the much coveted award of three Michelin stars. The restaurant has received numerous James Beard Awards, since 1998, including those for Outstanding Service, Outstanding Chef, and Outstanding Pastry Chef.