Eric Ripert is the French-American chef behind Le Bernardin at 155 West 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, the three-Michelin-star seafood restaurant that has held three Michelin stars continuously since 2006 and was named #1 Restaurant in the World by La Liste for 2026, announced in November 2025. Born 2 March 1965 in Antibes on the French Riviera, Ripert grew up in Andorra and southern France before training at the Ecole Hoteliere de Perpignan and in French three-Michelin-star kitchens including Joel Robuchon’s Jamin in Paris and La Tour d’Argent. He joined Le Bernardin in 1991 and took over as head chef in 1994 after the death of founder Gilbert Le Coze.
Le Bernardin has held three Michelin stars continuously since the Michelin Guide New York was first published in 2006, and has received a four-star rating from the New York Times under every Times restaurant critic since 1986. The November 2025 La Liste #1 ranking for 2026 places Le Bernardin at the top of the 1,000-restaurant global list. Ripert’s public role extends through the Avec Eric television series (PBS, 2009-2013), the long-running Anthony Bourdain friendship documented across Parts Unknown and other programmes, the 2019 memoir 32 Yolks, and the Ripert cookbook series from 1998 onwards. He has served as chairman of the City Harvest Food Council in New York since 2007.
TL;DR
- French-American chef born 2 March 1965 in Antibes, Cote d’Azur, France
- Trained under Joel Robuchon at Jamin in Paris and at La Tour d’Argent
- Head chef at Le Bernardin, Midtown Manhattan, since 1994
- Three Michelin stars at Le Bernardin continuously since 2006, retained 2026
- November 2025: Le Bernardin named #1 Restaurant in the World by La Liste for 2026
- Author of 32 Yolks memoir (2019); longtime friend of Anthony Bourdain
Eric Ripert key facts
| Born | 2 March 1965, Antibes, Cote d’Azur, France |
| Nationality | French-American |
| Flagship restaurant | Le Bernardin, 155 West 51st Street, Midtown Manhattan, New York City (head chef since 1994) |
| Michelin status | Three Michelin stars continuously since 2006, retained 2026 |
| Training | Ecole Hoteliere de Perpignan; La Tour d’Argent; Joel Robuchon at Jamin; Jean-Louis at Watergate (Washington DC) |
| 2026 recognition | Le Bernardin named #1 Restaurant in the World by La Liste for 2026 (announced November 2025) |
| Books | 32 Yolks memoir (2019); Le Bernardin Cookbook; A Return to Cooking; On the Line; My Best |
Early life and training of Eric Ripert
Ripert was born on 2 March 1965 in Antibes on the Cote d’Azur. His family moved to Andorra, the small Pyrenees principality between France and Spain, when he was a small child. His father Roger died when Eric was eleven, an event documented in detail in Ripert’s 2019 memoir 32 Yolks. The family later returned to France and settled near Perpignan in the south. The Catalan and southern-French foodways of his childhood shaped his later approach to seafood cookery.
Ripert enrolled at the Ecole Hoteliere de Perpignan at 15 and completed his formal apprenticeship in the early 1980s. His first major Paris position was at La Tour d’Argent, the historic two-Michelin-star restaurant overlooking the Seine. The decisive training period was with Joel Robuchon at Jamin, the three-Michelin-star restaurant on rue de Longchamp that was widely regarded as the most technically demanding kitchen in Paris in the late 1980s. Ripert spent approximately two years under Robuchon and has cited the experience repeatedly as the formative period of his professional life.
In 1989 Ripert moved to the United States to work under chef Jean-Louis Palladin at Jean-Louis at the Watergate in Washington, D.C. Two years later, in 1991, he moved to New York to join Le Bernardin, the seafood-focused restaurant opened by siblings Gilbert and Maguy Le Coze at 155 West 51st Street in 1986 (after their original Paris Le Bernardin). In 1994, when Gilbert Le Coze died unexpectedly at age 49, Ripert was promoted to head chef at age 29. He has led the Le Bernardin kitchen continuously since, alongside Maguy Le Coze who continues to run the front-of-house and the business.
Eric Ripert career timeline
- 2 March 1965: Born in Antibes, Cote d’Azur, France
- Early 1970s: Family moves to Andorra
- Late 1970s: Family returns to France, settles near Perpignan
- 1980-1982: Apprenticeship at Ecole Hoteliere de Perpignan
- Mid-1980s: Cooks at La Tour d’Argent in Paris
- Late 1980s: Two years under Joel Robuchon at three-Michelin-star Jamin in Paris
- 1989: Moves to Washington D.C. to cook at Jean-Louis at the Watergate under Jean-Louis Palladin
- 1991: Joins Le Bernardin in Midtown Manhattan
- 1994: Becomes head chef at Le Bernardin at age 29 after the death of founder Gilbert Le Coze
- 1998: Publishes Le Bernardin Cookbook (co-authored with Maguy Le Coze)
- 2003: Publishes A Return to Cooking (co-authored with Michael Ruhlman)
- 2005: Named Outstanding Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation
- 2006: Le Bernardin earns three Michelin stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide New York
- 2007: Becomes chairman of the City Harvest Food Council in New York
- 2008: Le Bernardin named #1 New York Times four-star review by critic Frank Bruni
- 2009-2013: Hosts Avec Eric television series on PBS
- 2015: Le Bernardin named Outstanding Restaurant of the Year by the James Beard Foundation
- 2018: Death of close friend Anthony Bourdain in June 2018; Ripert was with Bourdain in Strasbourg the day of his death
- 2019: Publishes 32 Yolks memoir
- 2024: Three Michelin stars retained at Le Bernardin
- November 2025: Le Bernardin named #1 Restaurant in the World by La Liste for 2026
- 2026: Three Michelin stars retained at Le Bernardin; 20th continuous year at three stars
Eric Ripert signature style: seafood at the highest technical level
Ripert’s central argument, developed under Joel Robuchon and refined at Le Bernardin since 1994, is that seafood can anchor a three-Michelin-star fine-dining kitchen at the highest technical level without supporting meat or protein. The Le Bernardin menu has been built on this argument for more than three decades: the kitchen is focused almost entirely on fish and shellfish (with occasional meat options for traditionalists), and the dishes progress through three thematic categories labelled almost raw, barely touched, and lightly cooked. The format has been on the Le Bernardin menu since the 1990s and is the clearest statement of the Ripert approach.
The second defining element is the Robuchon-trained technical precision. Ripert’s Le Bernardin dishes are built around extremely precise fish cookery, careful sauce work and restrained plating, drawing directly on the technique he learned under Joel Robuchon in the late 1980s. The continuity is one of the most direct transfers of the three-star Paris technique into American fine dining, and Ripert is often discussed alongside Thomas Keller as one of the defining French-trained chefs in American fine dining.
The third pillar is public voice and institutional leadership. Ripert hosted the Avec Eric television series on PBS from 2009 to 2013, served as chairman of the City Harvest Food Council in New York since 2007, and wrote the 2019 memoir 32 Yolks, which documented his childhood, his father’s death, and his early training under Joel Robuchon in unusual detail. Within the current New York French-trained fine-dining cohort, Ripert sits alongside Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel and Jean-Georges Vongerichten as one of the defining figures.
Notable dishes at Le Bernardin
Several Le Bernardin dishes have become reference points in American seafood fine dining. The classic thinly-sliced yellowfin tuna layered on toast with foie gras and chive is the single most-cited Le Bernardin signature and has been on the menu in varying forms since the 1990s. The black bass with champagne and celery, the poached lobster with squash blossom, and the langoustine with chive oil are long-running signatures. The three-category menu structure (almost raw, barely touched, lightly cooked) has been in place since the 1990s and is the clearest statement of the Ripert approach. Ripert cookbooks include Le Bernardin Cookbook (1998, with Maguy Le Coze), A Return to Cooking (2003, with Michael Ruhlman), On the Line (2008), My Best (2013) and the 2019 memoir 32 Yolks.
Eric Ripert awards and recognition
- 1995: Four-star rating in the New York Times under critic Ruth Reichl (retained under every subsequent Times critic)
- 1998: First major cookbook, Le Bernardin Cookbook, published
- 2003: Legion of Honour (France)
- 2005: Outstanding Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation
- 2006: Three Michelin stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide New York
- 2015: Outstanding Restaurant of the Year by the James Beard Foundation
- 2019: 32 Yolks memoir published and becomes New York Times bestseller
- 2020: Officer of the Legion of Honour (France)
- 2024: Three Michelin stars retained at Le Bernardin
- November 2025: Le Bernardin named #1 Restaurant in the World by La Liste for 2026
- 2026: Three Michelin stars retained at Le Bernardin (20th continuous year at three stars)
Eric Ripert impact on American fine dining
Ripert’s most concrete contribution is the 20-year continuous three-star hold at Le Bernardin since the 2006 inaugural Michelin Guide New York, one of the longest unbroken three-star runs in New York fine dining. The November 2025 La Liste #1 ranking for 2026 places Le Bernardin at the top of the 1,000-restaurant global list and recognises the continuous excellence of the restaurant across more than three decades. Few seafood-focused restaurants have held fine-dining ranking at this level for this long.
The second contribution is the Robuchon-to-Le Bernardin technical transfer. Ripert is one of the most direct transfers of the three-Michelin-star Paris technique into the American restaurant world, alongside Thomas Keller (who trained under Roland Henin and the French tradition) and Daniel Boulud (who also trained in French three-star kitchens). The three chefs together defined the French-trained New York fine-dining cohort that emerged in the 1990s.
The third contribution is the Anthony Bourdain friendship and the subsequent public voice. Ripert was Bourdain’s closest friend in the restaurant industry, appeared across Parts Unknown, No Reservations and other Bourdain programmes, and was with Bourdain in Strasbourg the day Bourdain died in June 2018. Ripert has since spoken publicly about Bourdain’s death and about mental health in the restaurant industry in ways that have shaped the broader conversation. Within the current French-trained fine-dining cohort in New York, Ripert sits alongside Guy Savoy (trained peers) and the Robuchon legacy as defining figures.
Eric Ripert FAQ
How many Michelin stars does Le Bernardin have?
Three Michelin stars continuously since the 2006 inaugural Michelin Guide New York and retained in the 2026 guide, making 2026 the 20th continuous year at three stars. The restaurant has also held a four-star rating from the New York Times under every Times restaurant critic since 1986.
Is Le Bernardin ranked #1 in the world?
Yes. Le Bernardin was named #1 Restaurant in the World by La Liste for 2026, announced in November 2025. La Liste ranks the top 1,000 restaurants globally based on aggregated food critic reviews, and the #1 position places Le Bernardin at the top of the list for 2026.
Where did Ripert train?
At the Ecole Hoteliere de Perpignan, then at La Tour d’Argent in Paris, and decisively under Joel Robuchon at three-Michelin-star Jamin in Paris in the late 1980s. He then worked under Jean-Louis Palladin at Jean-Louis at the Watergate in Washington D.C. before moving to Le Bernardin in 1991.
When did Ripert become head chef at Le Bernardin?
In 1994, at age 29, after the unexpected death of Le Bernardin founder Gilbert Le Coze at age 49. Ripert had joined the restaurant in 1991 and was promoted by Maguy Le Coze (Gilbert’s sister and business partner), who continues to run the front-of-house and the business alongside Ripert’s kitchen leadership.
Did Ripert write a memoir?
Yes. 32 Yolks, published in 2019, is Ripert’s memoir documenting his childhood in Andorra and southern France, his father’s death when Eric was eleven, his apprenticeship at Ecole Hoteliere de Perpignan, and his formative years under Joel Robuchon at Jamin. The book became a New York Times bestseller.
What is next for Eric Ripert
Le Bernardin continues at three Michelin stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide New York, and the November 2025 La Liste #1 ranking for 2026 places the restaurant at the top of the global list. Ripert continues as chairman of the City Harvest Food Council in New York. His public Instagram (@ericripert) is the best source for current updates.
