Who is the chef at Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo?

The chef steering the culinary direction of the prestigious Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is Dominique Lory, who has recently stepped into the role of Executive Chef overseeing the entirety of the grand hotel’s kitchens. This promotion represents a significant evolution for Lory, whose career has been deeply intertwined with the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) complex for over fifteen years.

Lory's tenure marks a continuation of his long-standing professional relationship with culinary titan Alain Ducasse, spanning 24 years, including 11 years as the head chef at the celebrated Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris. Becoming the Executive Chef for the entire palace kitchens—from Le Grill to Le Bar Américain, and even room service—is an honor Lory embraces with a fresh perspective rooted in his experience.

# Kitchen Structure

To fully appreciate Lory's new scope, it is essential to understand the layered leadership within the hotel's renowned dining portfolio. While Lory commands the overall vision for the hotel's gastronomy, the hotel's flagship, the three-Michelin-starred Le Louis XV, has its own distinct leadership thread.

Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse remains a temple of haute cuisine, where Alain Ducasse's signature Mediterranean style is executed daily by Emmanuel Pilon, who has taken the reins as the Head Chef in this specific establishment. Pilon himself was Lory’s sous-chef, ensuring the transition following Lory’s elevation was managed smoothly, maintaining the exacting standards required for three stars. This division of high-level command—Pilon dedicated to the Le Louis XV legacy and Lory managing the broader hotel ecosystem—suggests a deliberate strategy to protect the integrity of the three-star experience while injecting Lory's contemporary energy across the rest of the property's offerings.

# Lory's Cuisine

For guests looking to experience Dominique Lory’s direct culinary philosophy, his command extends clearly to Le Grill, the hotel’s one-Michelin-starred venue situated on the eighth floor. Lory defines his cooking ethos primarily as sharing. This principle drives him to create food that is generous, well-seasoned, and deeply connected to local products, prepared precisely and cooked the right way.

The core inspiration for Lory’s work is the Riviera itself, which he praises for its sunshine, lightness, color, and inherent quality for communal dining.

"Here, it's always sunny, so when you sit down to eat, it's very colourful. Courgettes, peppers in the summer, peas in the spring. I like this plant-based, light and flavoursome cuisine. We use very little butter and hardly any cream. The most common ingredient in Riviera cuisine is olive oil."

This dedication to local produce is absolute; Lory notes that he uses olive oil every single day, citing the exceptional quality of local Menton lemons as a favorite ingredient. The cuisine of Le Grill reflects this commitment, with seasonal menus emphasizing prime cuts of beef, chicken, and fish, many of which are carved tableside—a spectacle that few restaurants offer on this scale.

# The Three-Star Legacy

While Lory leads the hotel's general kitchens, Le Louis XV continues to embody a legacy that few establishments ever achieve. When it opened in 1987, Alain Ducasse famously earned three Michelin stars within just 33 months, a stunning feat for a hotel restaurant. This achievement was partly founded on signature concepts like the vegetable-based "Jardins de Provence" set menu.

The focus at Le Louis XV under Pilon remains on masterfully celebrating the essence of the ingredients and the Mediterranean, aligning with the naturality emphasized by Ducasse. This pursuit of three-star perfection demands a certain formality; elegant dress is required, with jackets necessary for dinner year-round. This contrasts with the atmosphere at Le Grill, where Lory’s emphasis on conviviality and sharing likely permeates a slightly more relaxed, albeit still luxurious, environment, especially given Le Grill's retractable roof that opens to the sky in summer.

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# Team Dynamics

A kitchen's success at this level relies heavily on the collaboration between its leaders. Lory acknowledges the talent of Julien Lasseaux, who works closely with him, often at Le Grill. Lory describes Lasseaux, a long-time collaborator of nearly 15 years, as a dynamic chef always generating new ideas that blend tradition and modernity. Lasseaux, in turn, emphasizes that his role is to support Lory's vision, ensuring precision and passion in execution, having learned the importance of rigor from his Executive Chef.

This collaborative spirit is vital across the SBM group. For guests, knowing the exact leadership provides insight into what they can expect. If one seeks the pure, historical interpretation of Ducasse’s groundbreaking Riviera cuisine, the three stars of Le Louis XV under Pilon are the destination. If the desire is for an energetic, shared Mediterranean feast deeply influenced by the modern Executive Chef of the hotel, Lory’s domain at Le Grill offers that experience, complete with views over Le Rocher.

# Beyond the Plate

The experience at the Hôtel de Paris is not solely judged by the food; the service, ambiance, and history are interwoven into the memory of the meal. The staff understands that they are curating memories, which Lory identifies as the ultimate goal of cooking. Even in a place where dress codes are strict, like Le Louis XV, staff have been noted for their humanity, providing a borrowed jacket to a guest facing transportation issues rather than turning them away outright, demonstrating an understanding that the overall hospitality matters immensely.

When considering the culinary landscape of Monaco, one must recognize the geographical influence. The Riviera is a unique "terroir," as Lory describes it, providing the chef with unmatched raw materials—from local farmers to passionate fishermen. Lory’s dedication to using these intense, flavorful, and often plant-based ingredients with light seasoning and precision ensures that while the spirit remains classic French and Mediterranean, the presentation is always modern and energetic. The ability of Lory, as the Executive Chef, to manage this balance across multiple venues—from the ultra-formal dining rooms to the stunning heights of Le Grill—is what defines the current state of gastronomy at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. For a discerning visitor, this structure allows a unique culinary exploration of the same region interpreted through two distinct, yet equally masterful, lenses of leadership.