César Ramirez, a self-taught chef of Mexican descent who grew up in Chicago, has redefined New York haute cuisine with an approach that blends French and Japanese techniques. After leading the three-star Michelin Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare for more than a decade, he opened his own restaurant, César, in 2024, earning two Michelin stars in less than five months.
Born in 1972 in a small town between Mexico City and Guanajuato, César Ramirez moved to Chicago at the age of four. With no formal academic training in cooking, he began working in local restaurants during his teens, developing a passion that would lead him to travel to France and Japan to learn more about their respective culinary traditions.
In 1998, he moved to New York, where he worked for nine years with chef David Bouley at Danube and Bouley restaurants. During this time, Ramirez delved deeper into Japanese cuisine, traveling frequently to Japan to learn culture, ingredients and techniques that would profoundly influence his culinary style.
In 2009, he opened Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, a restaurant with only 18 seats, which quickly achieved significant accolades: two Michelin stars in 2010 and a third in 2011, maintaining this prestigious award for eleven consecutive years.
In July 2023, after a controversial separation from Chef's Table, Ramirez opened his eponymous restaurant, César, in SoHo, New York. The restaurant offers a 12-course tasting menu focused on seasonal and high-quality ingredients, with dishes reflecting the influence of French and Japanese cuisines. In less than five months after opening, César received two Michelin stars.
Ramirez is known for his attention to detail and his culinary philosophy that emphasizes quality ingredients and precision techniques. He prefers to be called an “artisan” rather than a “chef,” reflecting his dedication to the culinary art and mastery in preparing each dish.
