André Poirot

Chef André Poirot is an aficionado of fine dining and the art of haute cuisine, and he says he owes much of his career to the legacy of Jacques Pépin.

He was born and raised in France where he received his culinary diploma in 1977. He served as a commis at the Ets Blache restaurant in Remiremont, France, and in the hallowed kitchens of The Savoy on the Strand in London. He completed his military duty at Pont St. Vincent, France as a chef mess officer, and went on to be saucier at Thomas de Quincey’s restaurant in London.

Chef André returned to the verdant valleys of Bordeaux where he was sous-chef at Ets Cuny Traiteur. He progressed to head chef at Relais de Ballons in St. Maurice-Moselle before moving to Strasbourg for a complete change of pace. Then the roar of the Atlantic waves called, and chef André, like millions before him, answered the call. He came ashore in Bermuda at the Princess Hotel, as chef de cuisine at Harley’s restaurant, and gourmet chef at the Tiara restaurant.

The clang of the street cars of New Orleans were the next clarion call. He worked for fourteen years at the Royal Sonesta Hotel for the celebrated Begue’s Restaurant. In 2004, the Peabody Hotel Little Rock recruited him as executive chef to supervise all the food and beverage functions held at the hotel and at the Statehouse Convention Center.

In 2013, the Peabody was sold and Chef André joined the Crowne Plaza Hotel Little Rock. In 2018, he joined the Capital Hotel as Executive Chef of in-room dining before being recruited by the Clinton Foundation to run the kitchen of 42 Bar + Table where he still works.