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Three Star Chefs Open Up Their Home Kitchens

Peek inside the pantries of Ruth Rogers, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Massimo Bottura

By Jacqueline Terrebonne
Two people sitting on stools in a modern kitchen with large windows and stainless steel appliances.
Ruth Rogers with her husband, Pritzker Prize–winning architect Richard Rogers, who designed their kitchen in 1984. Photo: Kate Martin
The home kitchens of chefs are worlds unto themselves, providing insight into how they think when cooking their own meals, when there’s no staff to chiffonade, baste, and blanch. Using hands-on experience acquired in the trenches, these men and women have designed beautiful, functional spaces where cooking is for fun and family. Here, legendary chefs Ruth Rogers, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Massimo Bottura let us peek inside their pantries. Ruth Rogers This chef had an ace in the hole when designing her kitchen: her husband, Richard Rogers, the Pritzker Prize–winning architect behind the Centre Pompidou and Lloyd’s of London. This space was completed in 1984, a few years before her restaurant launched, and Rogers credits it with inspiring her career. “I think that having such an amazing kitchen is why I actually wanted to open River Café,” she says. With a new book, River Café 30 (Knopf), celebrating the restaurant’s third decade, Rogers still cooks at home at least two nights a week.
Two people sitting in a modern kitchen with stainless steel cabinets and large windows letting in natural light.
Rogers with her husband, Pritzker Prize–winning architect Richard Rogers, who designed their kitchen in 1984. Kate Martin
modern kitchen with sleek stainless steel cabinets, large windows, and a mezzanine level with books and red baskets
In the kitchen of Ruth Rogers, of London’s , the stainless-steel counter and cabinet surfaces reflect the ambient light. Kate Martin
• The open plan influenced the way the kitchen at River Café was designed, with everyone helping to prep instead of being cornered off in stations. • The overall design brief was to keep things light, clean, and shiny. The all-stainless counter and cabinet surfaces reflect light from the double-height windows around the room. • Simplicity is key, so there are only four burners—which are Smeg by Renzo Piano, the architect with whom Richard Rogers collaborated on the Pompidou—as well as two Gaggenau ovens. • For her morning espresso, Rogers uses a La Pavoni coffeemaker designed in 1905, which many consider a piece of industrial art. Recommended: 7 Dreamy Kitchens Designed by Bobby McAlpine Jean-Georges Vongerichten Known for flawless open restaurant kitchens, Vongerichten has a similar home environment, designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen. “The kitchen in my New York City apartment is minimal and modern,” he says. “I like to come home to a space that isn’t overcomplicated but has the necessities.”
Modern minimalist dining area with sleek white cabinetry, dark wood flooring, and unique cone-shaped hanging lights.
Jean Georges’ streamlined kitchen. Greg Delves
Minimalist kitchen with white cabinetry, a long island, and pendant lights, adjacent to a dining area with modern decor.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s streamlined kitchen in his New York City apartment. Greg Delves
Chef in a white coat standing in a kitchen with arms crossed and smiling.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Robin Marchant/Stringer
• Concealed appliances include a paneled 48-inch Viking refrigerator and an Electrolux glass-top induction-cooking surface with a wok station in the center. • Custom-made pendant lights by Hervé Descottes, of L’Observatoire, illuminate the kitchen workspace, providing enough light to render additional downlights unnecessary while blending into the living area’s overall aesthetic. The French designer created lighting for all the chef’s restaurants. • A very large (30-inch) stainless-steel Franke sink and a Dornbracht faucet with a hose attachment keep things tidy. Massimo Bottura The Italian chef is praised for creating edible works of art at his Osteria Francescana in Modena, and his most recent projects include the Gucci Osteria in Florence and Refettorio in Paris. His latest book, Bread Is Gold (Phaidon), addresses food-waste issues with recipes for extraordinary meals made with ordinary ingredients.
Couple in a modern kitchen preparing food while a golden retriever waits by the island for a treat.
Massimo Bottura with his wife, Lara Gilmore, in their kitchen in Modena, Italy. Filippo Bamberghi
Person smiling while holding a forkful of spaghetti on a plate in a kitchen setting.
Chef Massimo Bottura serving spaghetti. Filippo Bamberghi
• Fully equipped with professional steel modules and a large workbench designed by chef Gualtiero Marchesi for Boffi, the block in his Modena kitchen has a gas cooktop with five burners (including a large middle one) and a cast-iron grill on the saucepan level. • Damask-pattern ceramic tiles by Casa Dolce Casa add warmth and a bit of glamour to the steel-clad workspace. • A classic of Italian design, a Flos chandelier by Gino Sarfatti brings character to the kitchen. A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2018 Summer Issue under the headline Off the Menu. Subscribe to the magazine.