Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2024
• First Four Seasons Position: Current

Employment History

• Brasserie Boulud, Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk; Monsieur Paul, Epcot, Orlando; Daniel, New York City; Restaurant Orient8, Hotel Mulia, Jakarta, Indonesia; Paul Bocuse, Lyon, France

Education

• Diploma, Culinary and Hospitality, Raymond Mondon, Metz, France

Birthplace

• Lyon, France

Languages Spoken

• French, English

“The concept we serve is rooted in the rich culinary heritage and traditions of Chef Daniel Boulud’s family and French cuisine,” says Nicolas Lemoyne, Executive Chef de Cuisine of Café Boulud at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre. Leading the kitchen of the one and only Café Boulud in the Middle East, Lemoyne taps years of experience working with renowned restaurateur Chef Daniel Boulud to feed a growing appetite for French cuisine in Saudia Arabia’s capital city. “People here are ready for great food to transport them to France. It’s a cuisine that everyone can understand and appreciate in different ways.”

Working out of an expansive kitchen arrayed with premier Italian appliances, Lemoyne employs a mastery of the ingenuity of Chef Boulud, earned over five years first as Sous Chef at Michelin two-star Daniel in New York City, then as Chef de Cuisine at Brasserie Boulud in Dubai. While every dish in Riyadh is prepared according to the exacting standards of the Café Boulud brand, Lemoyne and his team are encouraged to be creative by “exploring our minds and purpose,” he says. “For me, it’s about finding a balance between my own feelings and Chef Boulud’s touch.”

Menus change seasonally at Café Boulud Riyadh to ensure peak flavour, aroma, texture, and appearance. While the menu features carefully selected premium ingredients, Lemoyne has discovered local sources in Saudi Arabia for various products, including seafood harvested from the Red Sea and strawberries from a farm in the middle of the desert. “Once you start looking around, you’re surprised at what you can find,” he says, noting that creating demand from Four Seasons “is the surest path to seeing more local production take root.”

The team that Lemoyne leads to cook with those ingredients is diverse, including some young chefs from Saudia Arabia who were drawn to the opportunity to build French culinary skills, generated by the country’s new openness to international sources of hospitality. The team is “the core” of the restaurant’s success, he says, as well as the avenue through which he can express his management style.

That style was shaped over years in kitchens of highly rated restaurants around the world. Hailing originally from Lyon, the same city that gave Chef Boulud his start, Lemoyne was drawn to hospitality during middle school, inspired by a friend who wanted to be a chef. During a small immersion at a tiny bistro a short bike ride from his house, he discovered just two items on the menu, including stuffed chicken neck. The bistro’s chef insisted he try it and then prepare it. “It had to be cleaned, cracked, blanched, stuffed, and cooked. It looked unusual, but it was quite good.”

Lemoyne stuck with culinary and moved on to cooking school. In his third year, he did an internship at Restaurant Paul Bocuse in Lyon. The job was demanding, and the tempo fast paced: “Those were the toughest two months of my life.” But he fell in love with the energy and the sense of organization in the kitchen. “I knew it was something I wanted in my life.”

At just 18, Lemoyne completed his schooling and began his culinary career under the legendary Paul Bocuse. He then spent three years as a sous chef at a prestigious restaurant in Jakarta, Indonesia, before seizing the opportunity to join Chef Daniel in New York. His journey continued as he became the chef de cuisine with creative control over the menu at another esteemed restaurant run by Jerome Bocuse, Paul Bocuse’s son, in Orlando. Lemoyne then ventured to Dubai to launch Chef Boulud’s first restaurant in the Middle East.

Lemoyne learned a lot about running kitchens along the way. He is no stranger to pressure, which he believes enabled his success. “But I also understand that what worked for me doesn’t work for 90% of people.” Now, he endeavours to create a supportive climate for the entire team: “It’s about understanding the humans behind the cooks.”

"Being part of the Café Boulud opening at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh has been an incredible journey. Beyond work, I've enjoyed exploring Saudi Arabia with my wife Ilona and our son Rafael. He was just two when we arrived and watching him grow here has been a joy. The time spent with my family is invaluable."