New York Restaurant Consultant and Chef Claude Godard has been passionate about food and the art of cooking his entire life. Born in Burgundy into a family of prominent chefs, including his grandfather, Gaston, and his father, Jean-Claude, Godard received his formal training at the School of Culinary Arts in Paris.
Godard made a name for himself in France early in his career by working with some of Paris’ most renowned chefs, including Alain Dutournier and Jean-Pierre Vigato, and in some of Paris’ most famous restaurants, including Lasserre. In 1989, Claude ventured to Johannesburg, South Africa, to work in Ile de France and La Bastille.
A few years later, Godard returned to Burgundy to work alongside his father at their Michelin-starred family restaurant, Restaurant Godard. While in Burgundy, he also worked alongside the distinguished Anne Willan at the famous La Varenne Cooking School. In 1995, the French government asked Godard to prepare a state dinner for the Cuban president, Fidel Castro.
Godard arrived in the U.S. in 1998, intending to make high-quality traditional French cuisine accessible to New Yorkers. After falling in love with the dynamic energy and diversity of New York, he decided to open Madison Bistro. In 2010, Godard opened up Jeanne & Gaston in honor of his grandparents.
In 2019, Claude Godard integrated the well-known Union Club of the City of New York as Executive Chef.
Honors & Awards
