Christophe Bellanca

Christophe Bellanca is a French chef and restaurateur at Essential by Christophe, a List of Michelin-starred [restaurants in California|Michelin-starred] french restaurant in New York City.

Early years

Bellanca started his career working in many renowned restaurants in France including Georges Blanc, La Pyramide under Patrick Henriroux in Vienne, Régis Marcon in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, and six years with Anne-Sophie Pic at Maison Pic in Valence.
In 2004, Bellanca moved to the United States and worked at L’Orangerie in Los Angeles. After a meeting with Thomas Keller, Bellanca moved to New York City and was executive chef at Le Cirque. He later worked at Aureole.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Beginning in 2011, Bellanca was the Culinary Director for Joël Robuchon USA, overseeing L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in New York and Miami which received a 2 Michelin star rating.

Essential by Christophe

In 2022, Bellanca opened Essential by Christophe, a french contemporary restaurant on the Upper West Side of New York City. It received one Michelin star in 2023, a rating it still holds as of 2025.