Private chef in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and surrounding area
Grégory D did not train in a professional kitchen. He learned to cook the way the best food is always learned - by watching, tasting, and paying attention. His grandmother's pot simmering by the fire, his mother's approach to ingredients and instinct: these are the foundations of a style that has since travelled far and arrived somewhere entirely its own.Those travels matter in his cooking. New products, unfamiliar techniques, different flavours - all of it came back to the table. But Provence, where he is now based on the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, plays the central role. As he puts it: "Provence plays a big role in my cooking. I try to bring its sunshine to every dish."
The experience
Grégory's concept is straightforward: he comes to you, handles everything, and leaves your kitchen cleaner than he found it. Whether you are staying in a villa for a week and want a night off from restaurants, or you are hosting a gathering that calls for something considered and unhurried, the arrangement is the same. Menus are never fixed. Grégory asks each client about their tastes and builds around what he hears. "Each menu will be different. Each service has its own menu and nuances." The aperitif tends to go somewhere unexpected - off the beaten track, as he describes it - before settling into a more Provençal rhythm for the courses that follow. For those who want to take something home beyond the meal itself, he offers small cooking workshops: a way of sharing the techniques and flavours of Provence with guests who want to understand what they are eating, not just enjoy it.
On foraging
One of the things that sets Grégory's cooking apart is his use of foraged ingredients. The Var is generous in this regard - the herbs of Provence are well known, but he works with lesser-seen flavours too. As he explains: "We are lucky to have readily available wild products such as the famous herbs of Provence, but also lesser-known flavors like mimosa or eucalyptus."
Favourite ingredient
Squash. It arrives from the end of August and runs through to mid-March, and within that window comes a range of varieties - different in taste, different in texture - that Grégory finds endlessly interesting to work with. For him, it is about the deliciousness it brings to each dish, in whichever form it takes.
Favourite place to eat
The restaurant at Baie des Singes, set within the calanques of Marseille. Run by the same family since 1980, it sits at the end of the coastal corniche at Cap Croisette La Baie des Singes - what locals call le bout du monde, the end of the world. The menu of wild fish has barely changed in decades, and the kitchen is still supplied in part by sea. Les Marseillaises The setting is elemental: deckchairs on the rock face, looking out towards the île Maïre, deep in the Parc National des Calanques. Les Marseillaises It's not esuper asy to get to - around eight to ten minutes on foot along a path cut into the rock La Baie des Singes - but that is rather the point. Grégory's recommendation is simple and unsentimental: choose a beautiful fish, caught that day, and order the garlic potatoes. Leave the rest to the kitchen.
Grégory's recipe: focaccia
A reliable, unfussy focaccia that requires very little effort and a good night's sleep.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 750g type 00 flour
- 700ml water
- 15g salt
- 40g olive oil
- 12g dried baker's yeast
Method:
- Dissolve the yeast in a little lukewarm water and leave for ten minutes.
- Combine with all remaining ingredients, mixing by hand or with a spatula until the dough is smooth and even. Cover the bowl with cling film - the dough will double or even triple in volume - and refrigerate for a minimum of twelve hours.
- When ready, remove the dough from the fridge and transfer into a greased baking dish around 4-5cm deep. Leave to come up to room temperature for two to three hours, then press your fingers into the surface to form the characteristic dimples. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and scatter over some fleur de sel.
- Bake at 220°C for thirty minutes.
- The dough takes well to additions: rosemary pressed into the surface, sundried tomatoes folded through, or whatever the season suggests.
If you are planning a stay in the Saint-Tropez area and would like to arrange a private chef experience, our team can help you organise it. We work with Grégory to bring his cooking directly to your villa - whether that is a single dinner, a series of meals across your stay, or a cooking workshop for guests who want to take a little Provence home with them. Speak to us when you book, or get in touch with our team to discuss adding a private chef to your trip. We will take care of the rest.
À bientôt,
