Here, the most important place is undoubtedly the kitchen, visible from the elegant, contemporary and light-filled dining room.

Former master pâtissier, Michel Richard combines uniquely American influences with the traditional French recipes of his heritage. He was a pioneer in originating the revolutionary California-French cuisine, which is now so prevalent on the West Coast. His style is light, fresh and intelligent, focusing on innovative combinations, witty presentations and always an element of texture.

Richard knew he wanted to be a chef when he first glimpsed a restaurant kitchen at the age of eight. “The white hats, aprons, and all of the food -- I fell in love,” Richard says now of the experience. His fate was decided. At fourteen, Richard apprenticed in a restaurant-run patisserie in Champagne, France. Three years later he moved to Paris where he quickly rose to the top position at Gaston Lenôtre’s esteemed pastry shop. But, like many other chefs of his age growing up during the Bocuse revolution, Richard wanted to move to America. The opportunity came in 1974 when Lenotre opened a pastry shop in the States. Unfortunately, America was not yet ready for Lenôtre’s sophisticated French fare and the patisserie closed.

So, in 1975 he moved to Santa Fe for the opportunity to run a pastry shop serving simple meals. Despite his success, “Santa Fe was not a dream for an ambitious young chef,” so Richard looked to the West Coast for his next move. In 1987 Michel opened Citrus as Executive Chef and owner, adapting his native French cuisine to the tastes of Southern California. Citrus put Michel Richard on the culinary map. In 1989, Michel opened Citronelle, offering a menu similar to that of Citrus, but in a more plush atmosphere overlooking the ocean in the Santa Barbara Inn Hotel. But Michel was still not satiated by his continuous success. In 1994 he opened a Citronelle in the Latham Hotel in Washington, DC’s Georgetown. Neary a decade later, his flagship became a Relais & Chateaux.