Chef Julien Dumas has been awarded a Michelin star for Bellefeuille, the new restaurant at Saint James Paris. The six-month-old venue is part of the rebirth of the property – billed as the only chateau-hotel in Paris – which has just completed a total renovation of its interiors, gardens, spa and restaurants.

“We are thrilled for Julien and his beautiful restaurant,” says General Manager Laure Pertusier. “His elegant and unexpected cuisine, and his warm rapport with guests and members, perfectly compliment the Saint James Paris experience.”

Dumas’ concept for the cuisine at Bellefeuille is entirely seasonal and dedicated to nature. He credits his purveyor-partners, who helped him realise this vision. “I am very happy to pursue the path of the stars,” says Dumas. “This distinction rewards my work but also that of the teams and the producers who accompany me daily.”

Dumas is also committed to preserving biodiversity. Through constant sourcing work, he favours artisans of land and sea who practice responsible methods – pollock and mackerel fished by Ondine Morin on Ouessant Island; seaweed and marine herbs harvested by Jean-Marie Pédron; poultry raised by Bénédicte Poiseau in the Perche region – all purveyors whom Dumas knows and works closely with to create his menus. Market gardeners, fishmongers and breeders who all have know-how and share Dumas’ demanding vision of excellence. Vegetables are grown in the hotel’s organic garden south of Paris and brought to the Saint James by electric van, while honey comes from hives on property.

With these ingredients, Dumas has invented his own definition of gastronomy. His dishes are the interpretation of the ephemeral, of sunlight or stars in a given season, of childhood memories, often sourcing ingredients from a small area to give dishes a precise terroir of flavours. His members-only lunch and evening tasting menus – at a choice of six or nine courses – are served in the circular dining room with views to the hotel’s private gardens.

For the interiors, designer Laura Gonzalez has created a winter garden ambiance that blurs the line between indoors and out, deftly complementing Dumas’ vision for Bellefeuille through a palette of greens and soft yellows and nature-inspired wallpaper, fabrics, ceramics, fixtures and even silverware from French artisans.

From the dining room, guests can watch Dumas plating the dishes through the open doors to the kitchen. His precise plating borrows from the Japanese art of kaiseki ryôri, where several refined dishes are arranged to form a visual and taste composition of rare harmony.

Prior to joining Saint James, Dumas was chef at Paris’ Lucas Carton restaurant, where he also earned one Michelin star.