Meet the Chef

As a member of the exclusive Les Toques Blanches Lyonnaises, Poinard is one of the privileged chefs invited into the fraternity of only 100 members. French home cuisine “la cuisine de meres” is what propelled Poinard to the top of the elitist gastronomic scene since 1998. Proud of being a 5th generation chef and then owning Lyon’s Hotel Restaurant de Paris (in the family since 1962) brought this splendid young restauranteur into the limelight - delighting international patrons with his exuberant youthful passion and pleasure in cooking.

Together with his wife Valerie, a winemaker from the Domaine de la Moiroux, Chef Poinard has realized his dream to bring the flavor of France to the United States at their restaurant, Bistro de Leon. St. Augustine’s quaint village atmosphere is a fitting location for a family restaurant where you can take a moment to relax and enjoy his fine cuisine.