Biography Chef Romain Fornell

Biography Chef Romain Fornell




Chef Romain Fornell is a highly regarded French chef known for his innovative approach to cuisine. He has gained international recognition for his culinary expertise and creativity. Fornell has worked in prestigious kitchens around the world and has earned multiple Michelin stars for his exceptional culinary creations.

He is celebrated for his dedication to showcasing the finest ingredients and infusing dishes with modern twists while maintaining a strong foundation in French culinary tradition. Fornell continues to inspire and delight food enthusiasts globally through his acclaimed restaurants and ongoing pursuit of culinary innovation. Chef Romain Fornell owns and operates several restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Caelis restaurant in Barcelona located in the hotel Ohla.

Romain Fornell was born in Toulouse, France, in 1976. In 1994, he began his studies at the prestigious Toulouse Hospitality School (Lycée des Métiers d’Hôtellerie et du Tourisme) and was named Best Young Chef of the Midi Pyrénées region. Soon after, he began his professional apprenticeship at renowned French restaurants, including Les Jardins de l’Opera. In 1996, he moved to Barcelona to be second-in-command at La Maison du Languedoc Roussillon which was on Carrer de Pau Claris, 77 but is now permanently closed.

He returned to France in 1997 to work first with Michel Sarran and later with Alain Ducasse. In 2000, he opened Chaldette in Lozère, where he showcased his creative potential, and went on to earn his first Michelin star in 2001, making him the youngest chef to do so, at just 24 years old.

Fornell returned to Barcelona in 2002, where he has lived ever since, to take charge of the restaurant Diana at the hotel El Palace Barcelona. In 2004, Diana became Caelis, with its own philosophy independent of the hotel where it was located. In 2005, Romain got another Michelin star for Caelis, becoming the only French chef to receive this distinction in both France and Spain. Caelis was named Restaurant of the Year in 2006 by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy. In 2011, he opened Cafe Emma in the centre of Barcelona with his friend and former mentor Michel Sarran. In recent years, Romain has added Café Turó, Epicerie and Joël´s Oyster Bar, all in Barcelona, to his culinary endeavours.

In 2015, he was named culinary director at Hostal de La Gavina in S’Aragó (Costa Brava, Girona) with special emphasis on the Candlelight restaurant, which took his name in 2016 (Candlelight by Romain Fornell). In early 2017, with another partner, took over management of Casa Leopoldo, an emblematic restaurant dating back to 1936 that they hope to put back on the city’s culinary map. From early 2017, coinciding with the move of Caelis to hotel Ohla Barcelona, he has been the Chef/Culinary Director of all of the culinary spaces at hotel Ohla Barcelona (includes Caelis, La Plassohla,  Vistro49, Rooftop Ohla Barcelona).

In March 2018, Romain won the award for the Best Restaurant Chef at the 2018 European Hotel Awards by Références. On October 29, Caelis was awarded “la meilleure table internationale” as part of the  2018 “Trophées de la gastronomie” held in Lyon. At the beginning of December 2018, Romain opened Casa Tejada, which started a new stage with both of them as a Bistro and Oyster Bar.  In 2019 Romain and his associate Hugues de Montfalcon regrouped and branding all the restaurants under one group name: Goût Rouge.

In October 2019 they opened Tejada Mar, facing the beach.

Throughout his career, Romain has participated in the top culinary events in the world, including among many others the World Gourmet Summit Singapore, World Gourmet Festival Bangkok, Festival Montreal, Rencontre Internationale de la Gastronomie Toulouse, and European Catering Cup in Lyon.

In February 2024 the Picasso Museum in Barcelona announced that in June 2024 a new restaurant by Romain Fornell would open inside the museum. The restaurant would be in the style of Parisian bistros from the early 20th century which would evoke the time when Picasso lived in Paris and painted the iconic Guernica painting. The restaurant has yet to be given a name but will serve predominantly French dishes according to Romain Fornell.

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Last Updated on Monday, 29 April 2024 10:00
 

Sunday, 22 December 2024


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