About Cord
Drawing on Le Cordon Bleu's unique heritage spanning over 125 years, CORD was born out of a desire to create an environment where quality and excellence are second-to-none
Steeped in tradition,
focused on innovation
CORD by Le Cordon Bleu is the first fine dining restaurant in London by the famed culinary arts institute. Except it is much more than that - CORD is an all-in-one concept that also incorporates a cafe, cooking school and a culinary event space.
The focus remains on delivering exquisite dining experiences backed by the excellence and savoir faire brought by Le Cordon Bleu techniques, passion for innovation and the desire to celebrate the local gastronomy.
Steeped in tradition,
focused on innovation
CORD by Le Cordon Bleu is the first fine dining restaurant in London by the famed culinary arts institute. Except it is much more than that - CORD is an all-in-one concept that also incorporates a cafe, cooking school and a culinary event space.
The focus remains on delivering exquisite dining experiences backed by the excellence and savoir fair brought by Le Cordon Bleu techniques, passion for innovation and the desire to celebrate the local gastronomy.
Excellence runs in our veins
Le Cordon Bleu occupies a unique place in the history of culinary arts as one of the oldest and most prestigious cooking schools in the world.
It was founded in Paris in 1895 and has been home to many household names since, including the likes of Julia Childs, Mary Berry and Gaston Acurio, to name but a few.
Over the last century Le Cordon Bleu has seen revolutionising changes as it has evolved from a Parisian cooking school to an international network of culinary arts and hospitality institutes with 35 schools in as many countries.
Excellence runs in our veins
Le Cordon Bleu occupies a unique place in the history of culinary arts as one of the oldest and most prestigious cooking schools in the world.
It was founded in Paris in 1895 and has been home to many household names since, including the likes of Julia Childs, Mary Berry and Gaston Acurio, to name but a few.
Over the last century Le Cordon Bleu has seen revolutionising changes as it has evolved from a Parisian cooking school to an international network of culinary arts and hospitality institutes with 35 schools in as many countries.
Karl O'Dell is Executive Chef at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu
Executive Chef Karl O’Dell heads the passionate brigade of chefs at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu London. A skilful and creative chef, Karl uses his unique and innovative culinary style to execute seasonal menus, reflecting the best produce and flavours available all year round. He works alongside Chef Justine Bordet and his brigade of Chefs to refine each and every dish to the highest standard.
Chef Karl has previously held the esteemed role of Executive Chef at the Monarch Theatre at Park Row, London, prior to that Chef Karl was Head Chef at the award-winning Michelin-starred restaurant, Texture. Chef Karl was also a valued member and Senior Sous Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s 1 Michelin star restaurant Petrus.
Christophe Marleix is Executive Chef at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu
Christophe brings with him a wealth of fine dining experience, including executive head chef roles at
The Grill at the Dorchester Hotel, part of Alain Ducasse's Dorchester Collection, and Foile.
Previous roles include Executive Sous Chef at Restaurant La Cour Jardin and Chef de Cuisine at three Michelin-starred Banqueting Plaza Athénée in Paris, Chef de Partie at two Michelin-starred fine dining Restaurant Jean Paul Jeunet in Jura and Commis Chef to Chef De Partie at the two Michelin-starred Restaurant Nicolas le Bec at five star hotel La Cour des Loges in Lyon.
Highly experienced team of talented professionals
Focused on delivering exceptional culinary experience as well as top-notch service, we are proud to have built a team of he best industry professionals including alumni of our famed Le Cordon Bleu Institute.
Karl O'Dell
Executive Chef Karl O’Dell heads the passionate brigade of chefs at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu.
A skilful and creative chef, Karl uses his unique and innovative culinary style to execute seasonal menus, reflecting the best produce and flavours available all year round. He works alongside Chef Justine Bordet and his brigade of Chefs to refine each and every dish to the highest standard.
Chef Karl has previously held the esteemed role of Executive Chef at the Monarch Theatre at Park Row, London, prior to that Chef Karl was Head Chef at the award-winning Michelin-starred restaurant, Texture. Chef Karl was also a valued member and Senior Sous Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s 1 Michelin star restaurant Petrus.
Justine Bordet
As Senior Sous Chef at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu London, Chef Justine Bordet works closely with Chef Karl O’Dell. Chef Justine has an integral role in designing and polishing menus, supervising the kitchen team and executing exceptional dishes.
Prior to joining CORD, Chef Justine held a number of roles in exclusive establishments, including Executive Chef at Le Sylvestre, France, helping the restaurant to earn its first Michelin Star within two months of her joining. She also held the title of Executive Chef at Alya’s Restaurant by Sylvestre Wahid, France, directing the concept and creation of their Mediterranean-themed menu.
Chef Justine is a talented and passionate chef who brings her flair for excellent cuisine to the table at CORD.
Charmagne Ochoa
Christophe Marleix is Executive Chef at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu. As head of the kitchen, Christophe creates menus at CORD, and works closely with the kitchen team to ensure all dishes are prepared to the highest standard.
Christophe brings with him a wealth of fine dining experience, including executive head chef roles at The Grill at the Dorchester Hotel, part of Alain Ducasse’s Dorchester Collection, and Folie.
Previous roles include Executive Sous Chef at Restaurant La Cour Jardin and Chef de Cuisine at three Michelin-starred Banqueting Plaza Athénée in Paris, Chef de Partie at two Michelin-starred fine dining Restaurant Jean Paul Jeunet in Jura and Commis Chef to Chef De Partie at the two Michelin-starred Restaurant Nicolas Le Bec at five star hotel La Cour des Loges in Lyon.
Lavanya Valluri
Simon Widdison
Simon Widdison holds the valued title of Restaurant Manager at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu. Simon has over 22 years of extensive experience across restaurant operations. Graduating with a National Diploma from the University of Johannesburg – School of Tourism and Hospitality in South Africa, he quickly found his passion for managing teams and developing people within the food industry.
His talent in leadership led him to pursue a career as Restaurant Manager at the high-end, fine-dining concept, Test Kitchen by Luke Dale-Roberts, Cape Town. He later opened three successful restaurants with the Luke Dale-Roberts group, including The Pot Luck Club, The Shortmarket Club and The Commissary. He was the General Manager and Partner of these three restaurants, creating the design concepts for which the restaurants were based on.
Simon was recently the Senior Restaurant Manager of Michelin-starred Trinity restaurant, London, where he led all aspects of restaurant operations, including motivating and training the staff and developing the team to provide the highest quality front of house service possible.
His notable achievements in the industry include earning his restaurants the titles of No.1 Best restaurant in South Africa from 2012 – 2018, the World’s 50 Best restaurants from 2012 – 2019 and Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants.
Antoine Lebrun
Antoine Lebrun is currently the assistant restaurant manager at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu London. Antoine has spent much of his career in the customer service and hospitality industry, holding esteemed management positions throughout.
Antoine began his career in food and beverage management at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Portugal, where he gained international experience in their coveted Michelin-starred restaurants. In 2021, Antoine relocated to London and assumed the role of departmental manager at the German Gymnasium. Thanks to his strong affinity for the hospitality industry and unwavering commitment, he soon ascended to the position of assistant restaurant manager at the German Gymnasium. In this capacity, he efficiently oversaw the front and back of house operations for the exquisite café, bar, and restaurant premises.
Florent Marianne
Florent Marianne is currently the assistant restaurant manager at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu. With a wealth of experience in the hotel and restaurant management industry, Florent is vital in ensuring that the restaurant operations run smoothly and to the highest standards.
Previously, Florent held roles as the restaurant director of the Michelin-starred Le Sylvestre in the 5* Hotel Les Grandes Alpes in France, and as the restaurant director of Alya’s Restaurant by Sylvestre Wahid in France. Before that, Florent showcased his exceptional front-of-house skills as the maître d’hôtel of Michelin-starred L’Auberge in France.
With his excellent customer service skills and meticulous nature, Florent ensures that the guest experience at CORD is always outstanding.
Artur Skup
Patrycja Skup
Monike Heleodoro
.png)
Sign up to our newsletter
Stay up to date with our latest news and events.