L’Avant-Garde Welcomes Partner Chef Sébastien Giannini
By • February 10, 2024 0 1709
Georgetown’s elegant French restaurant at 2915 M St. NW renews its commitment to an authentic French experience, partnering with chef Sébastien Giannini — “and inviting guests to fall in love, even more, with L’Avant-Garde,” it says.
Closed since the holidays, the restaurant reopens on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.
Fady Saba, operator and creative director of L’Avant-Garde, says: “I am extremely happy to bring on Sébastien not only as our chef but as our business partner. He is a master technician and incredibly passionate about French cuisine. I can’t wait for L’Avant-Garde’s patrons to experience the generosity of his cuisine.”
Giannini succeeds L’Avant-Garde’s inaugural chef Gilles Epié, who helped to open the restaurant on Dec. 7, 2022.
L’Avant-Garde provided The Georgetowner the following biography about its new chef.
Sébastien Giannini was born and raised in Toulon, France, Giannini’s first culinary experiences were shopping at the seaside fresh food markets with his grandmother. “My grandmother inspired me to learn how to cook,” he recalls. “She went to the market every day and always used the freshest ingredients.”
Giannini’s culinary career started in Michelin-starred restaurants of the French Riviera and Courchevel, including at the two Michelin-starred Le Kilimanjaro and Leï Mouscardins by Chef Laurent Tarridec in St Tropez. Chef René Bergès at Le Relais de la Victoire, in Aix en Provence, and his favorite, the seaside L’Ile Rousse, Bandol, both with one Michelin star.
Giannini completed his masters in culinary arts, and after graduating he attended 10 different “stages” with chefs Alain Ducasse and Franck Cerutti.
His first role as Chef de Cuisine came at the young age of 21 in Cannes and at 23 was Executive Chef of a 5-star hotel (L’Auberge de la Vignette Haute) where he led a gastronomic restaurant, Les Milles Chandelles. The restaurant was reputed for its exemplary cuisine and Giannini earned the name, “Le Petit Prince,” of Provençal cuisine in honor of his culinary mentor, Guy Gedda.
Giannini competed in prestigious cooking competitions, such as the “Grand Prix Culinaire Escoffier” and the “Bocuse D’Or,” representing his native Cote d’Azur in the illustrious cooking competition in 2010, while he was Executive Chef of Le Meridien Nice. Sébastien became known for his modern touch on classic French Riviera dishes.
Offered the opportunity of an international career, Giannini led the kitchens of the prestigious Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, where he managed a team of 110 employees. During the four years he spent in Montreal, Sébastien was the official coach of Team Canada at the Bocuse D’Or finals in Lyon, France, in 2015.
Giannini has called Washington, D.C., home since 2017, when he relaunched the Alhambra restaurant as Executive Chef of the St Regis, Washington, DC and then as Executive Chef of both the Watergate Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, before taking the role of culinary director for a private family and foundation.
Serving presidents has become Giannini’s signature — from President Nicolas Sarkozy to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to diplomatic figures from around the world.
Giannini lives in McLean, Virginia, with his wife and two kids, aged 6 and 3.
