Le Bernardin

The story

The name Le Bernardin comes from a folk song about monks who loved the good life — a lyric a father sang to his children that would eventually name one of New York's most celebrated restaurants. Gilbert and Maguy Le Coze opened the original in Paris in 1972, moved it to New York in 1986 fresh off a third Michelin star, and built something rare. When Gilbert died of a heart attack in 1994, his chef de cuisine Eric Ripert stepped up. He has held three Michelin stars and co-ownership with Maguy ever since.