As you step into our Upper East Side restaurant, you'll be transported to the charming region of Alsace with its rich history and culinary traditions.
Experience speaks for itself and few chefs working today can speak as loud as Executive Chef Philippe Roussel.
A third-generation chef who hails from Brittany, Introduced to the culinary world by his father, a chef and restaurateur.
Roussel attended the École Hotelière in Rennes before making his way through the most respected kitchens in France.
He started his career with a two-year apprenticeship at the Michelin two-star ““Le Lion d'Or in Liffré”, before moving on to the Michelin three-star “Troisgros in Roanne”, one of the world’s greatest restaurants.
He later began work as Sous Chef at the Michelin-starred “Château de Marcay” in Chinon.
While waiting for a chef de partie position at the world-renowned and Michelin three-star, “Les Près d'Eugénie” of Michel Guérard, Roussel was invited to New York by Daniel Boulud, who was then at “Le Régence” the Plaza Athénée Hotel.
After a year, Roussel returned to France to work with Guérard at “Les Près d'Eugénie”, Roussel returned to New York, the city that he loved.
After serving as Sous Chef at Windows on the World, he graduated to Executive Chef at La Metairie, where he received two stars from Brian Miller at the New York Times.
He continued on to open the wildly popular Chelsea Bistro & Bar, which earned two stars from the New York Times and virtually put Chelsea on the map.
Later he became Executive Chef of Montparnasse and Park Bistro, and also put in a year as Sous Chef
at Restaurant Daniel for good measure.
Roussel has been pleasing palates all over New York for the past 3 decades, and now he is Executive
Chef and Partner, running the consistently busy NYT two-stared Café d’Alsace.
Even though he is not from Alsace, his father loved Alsatian food, and many of the recipes that Philippe
has developed are direct results of what he learned from his father.
Traditional French technique combined with modern interpretation being of the utmost importance
throughout his career, Chef Roussel has since been serving classic Alsatian dishes as Executive Chef of
Café d’Alsace on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, taking inspiration from his father of who taught
Roussel his foundation and love for cooking.
Our beverage program is also very impressive, with our beverage director- Aviram Turgeman, our sommelier- Bryan Saldivar, and our beer sommelier, Justin Fair, curating extensive lists of wines and beers that balances rare and imported selections with artisanal and small-batch offerings from local producers and brewers.
At Cafe d'Alsace, we take pride in our exceptional service, unique atmosphere, and a food and beverage program that has earned us a loyal following among foodies and locals alike for over a decade.
We can't wait to welcome you into our family soon!
