Pierre Gagnaire

Pierre Gagnaire (born 9 April 1950 in Apinac, Loire, France) is a well known French chef, and is the Head Chef and owner of the eponymous Pierre Gagnaire restaurant at 6 rue Balzac in Paris (in the 8th arrondissement). Gagnaire is an iconoclastic chef at the forefront of the fusion cuisine movement. Beginning his career in St. Etienne where he won three Michelin Stars, Gagnaire tore at the conventions of classic French cooking by introducing jarring juxtapositions of flavours, tastes, textures, and ingredients. On his website Pierre Gagnaire gives his mission statement as the wish to run a restaurant which is 'facing tomorrow but respectful of yesterday' ("tourné vers demain mais soucieux d'hier").

The restaurant specializes in modern French cuisine, and has garnered three Michelin stars. Gagnaire is also Head Chef of Sketch in London. In 2005 both restaurants were ranked in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants by industry magazine Restaurant, with Pierre Gagnaire ranking third for three consecutive years (2006, 2007, and 2008).

In December 2009, Gagnaire made his United States debut with Twist, a new flagship restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas, which has since received great critical praise and a Forbes Five-Star Award.

Pierre Gagnaire has made appearances on Fuji TV's Iron Chef. He represented France in the 1995 Iron Chef World Cup. He later appeared in the "France Battle" because of financial difficulties at that time.