Eric Briffard was born in 1961. At the age of 14, on his father's advice, he started an apprenticeship with chef Michel Moret, at Relais Saint-Fiacre in nearby Appoigny. Five years later he embarked on a journeyman's tour de France, working in particular under Joel Renty, at the Hotel Concorde Lafayette in Paris. At 27, he accepted the challenge of becoming Executive Chef in Japan with the opening of the Palazzo restaurant at the Royal Park Hotel in Tokyo. His meeting with Joel Robuchon was another decisive turning point, leading to his appointment as Executive Chef at Jamin. Having turned 30, Briffard felt the urge to branch out on his own, taking over at the Hostellerie du Chateau, at Fere en Tardenois, northeast of Paris. Returning to the Robuchon fold in Paris, now aged 34, he was appointed by Herve Houdre to take charge of the kitchens at the Plaza Athenee Hotel and its gourmet restaurant Le Regence, where he gave free rein to his culinary passion till the end of 2000. The Gault Millau guide awarded him a score of 18/20 and four toques, with four stars in the Bottin Gourmand and two in the Michelin guide. In 2007, having moved to Les Elysees du Vernet restaurant, he was again awarded two stars by the venerable guide. Since 2008 Eric Briffard has headed the brigade at the Hotel George V. In 2010 he was voted Chef of the Year by the Pudlowski guide for his work at the prestigious restaurant Le Cinq.