Paul Liebrandt

Paul Liebrandt is a British chef and restaurateur. He was the co-owner of Corton restaurant in New York City and the subject of the documentary film, A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt. Liebrandt is known for his daring cuisine, creativity and eccentric style, and has been awarded two Michelin stars. He previously worked at Atlas, Gilt and Papillon restaurants in New York, Corton and The Elm.

Liebrandt was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) on 26 August 1976 He moved out of his house in 1992 and began work as a commis chef at L'Escargot in London. In 1995 he was a commis chef at The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, at a time when White was the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. Liebrandt later went to work for Raymond Blanc's two Michelin star Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons near Oxford, England., According to Liebrandt, it was the pastry chef's idea and only happened on two occasions. He opened his consulting company the Veda Group and worked as a private chef for Prince Andrew and Lord Rothschild.

Gilt

Gilt opened in December 2005, in the former location of Le Cirque 2000, in the New York Palace Hotel. Liebrandt was recruited as Gilt's executive chef, allowing Liebrandt to create a menu that Thomas Keller characterised as a "light years" extension of his cooking. The restaurant received a two-star review from The New York Times.

Corton and The Elm

After leaving Gilt, Liebrandt freelanced for a short time before opening his Tribeca restaurant Corton In October 2008, Liebrandt opened Corton. Corton earned two stars in the 2009 New York City Michelin Guide. Liebrandt's elaborately imaginative food and "sometime outré" style were toned down slightly at Corton. Reservations at Corton often must have been made months in advance, and Liebrandt's cooking received ecstatic reviews.

A Matter of Taste

Liebrandt starred in the Sally Rowe directed documentary film A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt. The film follows Liebrandt's New York career over the course of a decade, and premiered on HBO on 13 June 2011. The film was nominated for an Emmy for Best Cultural Programming in 2012.

Food writer Andrew Friedman started discussions in 2011 about writing a book which will be published by Clarkson Potter in 2013.

Liebrandt appeared as a guest judge on Season 15 of Top Chef.

Awards

Liebrandt has received several awards and other recognition throughout his career.

Youngest Three Star Chef, The New York Times, 2000 The Best and the Brightest, Esquire, 2002 Two Stars, Corton, Michelin Guide, 2009