Damien Pignolet is generally recognised as one of Australia's finest chefs and restaurateurs. As chef and co-owner of Sydney restaurants such as Claude's from 1981 to 1993 and Bistro Moncur from 1993 onwards, his eye for detail and his consummate French style have garnered him many accolades. He has also been an influential teacher of cookery for more than three decades. In 2004 he became executive chef and co-proprietor of the Bellevue Hotel and Dining Room, also in Sydney.