Born in Melbourne to a family of French descent, Damien Pignolet is one of Australia’s most respected chefs. This quietly intense practitioner of classical French technique has shaped Sydney’s dining scene for more than four decades.

Damien’s early influences were domestic: his mother’s cooking introduced him to the craft. Discovering Auguste Escoffier in library books broadened his ambitions. Formal training was at William Angliss College for four years from 1966.

Training in catering and hotel management Damien made his name in Melbourne and later Sydney at establishments such as Pavilion on the Park and Claude’s. The latter a small, intensely run French restaurant on Oxford Street earned widespread respect under his stewardship. Those years cemented his reputation for precision, restraint and an almost pedagogic devotion to technique. As his career moved from institutional kitchens into fine dining his fastidious approach and devotion to French provincial cooking found an appreciative audience.

A defining and tragic episode in Damien’s life came in December 1987 when a car crash killed his wife, Josephine, and left him with serious injuries. He later channelled that loss into a lasting legacy: the "Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award", established in her memory to send promising Australian chefs overseas for training. The prize has launched many careers. Its alumni include prominent names who have gone on to lead influential kitchens across Australia.

In 1992 Damien partnered with Ron White to open Bistro Moncur at the Woollahra Hotel, a deliberately unfussy French bistro that celebrated regional produce and classical technique. Bistro Moncur has won industry awards and sustained critical praise. Damien’s work at Bistro Moncur has reinforced his reputation as a chef who could do both exacting gastronomy and warmly accessible bistro cooking. He has since returned to the venue in an ambassadorial role whilst continuing to teach, mentor and run cookery classes.

Damien has written authoritative books on French cooking with his cookbook "French" (2005) being noted for its thorough explanation of technique and carefully considered recipes. "Salads" was published in 2010. Damien has taught widely at cooking schools passing on exacting standards to young chefs. His influence was formally recognised when he was inducted into the New South Wales Restaurant & Catering Hall of Fame in 2000.

What distinguishes Damien Pignolet is less showmanship than discipline. He has an almost monastic attention to the fundamentals of French cuisine, combined with a generosity of spirit as a teacher and mentor. Through his restaurants, books and the Josephine Pignolet Award, he has shaped a generation of Australian chefs and ensured that classical technique remains an active, living part of Australia’s culinary vocabulary.

And in 1977 Damien was part of the group that founded the Chaîne in Australia. It was a fitting tribute that this esteemed and legendary restaurateur was guest speaker at the Bailliage of Australia Chapitre in Sydney on August 9, 2025, nearly 50 years later.

Prepared by a Chaîne News Online Staff Writer
Researched from various sources. E&OE