The Elegant Empire of Le Bilboquet

Years ago, people would have one restaurant and put all their love in one place from 8 a.m. to midnight,” explains Philippe Delgrange, owner of Le Bilboquet. “Now, if you have one, you are not doing that well; you need to have 10 or 15. I am very old fashioned – I like to go to my own space and see my clients and friends.’’

Somehow, Delgrange seems to be walking that line, overseeing nine restaurants in different locations, continually expanding, but still somehow being present at his restaurants, greeting customers and overseeing the smallest details.

In New York, Sag Harbor and Palm Beach, diners expect to see him, elegantly dressed, orchestrating the dining theater of Cajun chicken, crab salad, and caviar being downed by a well-heeled clientele as they greet each other and sip fine vintages.

We met with Delgrange, who was leaving for London to attend Eric Clapton’s 80th birthday celebration. The guitar legend is not just a regular at Le Bilboquet; he is a partner at the New York flagship.

Delgrange opened his first restaurant in 1986 on East 63rd Street, and it was a small Upper East Side jewel box where the staff was as beautiful as the customers.

“It was one in a million, like a house party where we just took our friends from New York, London, Germany, LA. There were top models and stars, and people would sit at other people’s tables. If somebody walked in who was a stranger, everybody would look and ask ‘who is that?’”

After it served its last meal on New Year’s Eve 2012, Clapton encouraged Delgrange to do it again.

“Eric was first to say we need to reopen, and he backed me up immediately,’’ recalled Delgrange.

It is a testimony to his abilities as a restaurateur and host that two of New York’s savviest businessmen also jumped in to invest – Ronald Perelman, who also partners with him in Fleming, and Steven Witkoff, who is, of course, busy these days acting as special envoy to the Middle East and negotiating with Putin.

“He was always very generous, and he has a sweetness about him’’ said Delgrange of Witkoff. “He would give a poor guy 100 bucks right away, so the guys on the street would ask, ‘is Steven around?’”

Le Bilboquet reopened on East 60th Street, and the crowds followed. In 2017, he unveiled an East End outpost in Sag Harbor, on the water, and practically overnight, the wharf morphed into one of the busiest, stylish spots in the Hamptons, with Tom Brady, Amber Heard, Emily Blunt, and Hugh Jackman among the boldfaced names spotted there.

In January of ’21, at the heart of the pandemic, when many New York restaurants were closed, and the intrepid were dining outdoors, Delgrange opened on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, where he welcomed the refined, discerning locals, along with the ability to serve a crowd outside that was not bundled up in fur and down.

With New Yorkers’ rush to Florida, the restaurant was an overnight hit and has remained a tough table to score on the island.

“I am a New Yorker, so when we opened in Palm Beach, I was a little skeptical, but I am always like that,’’ said Delgrange. “But you have people who are well educated, well dressed, very nice, and successful.”

Le Bilboquet also has locations in Dallas, Atlanta and Denver, a café in New York, and another set to open soon in Palm Beach – along with a market that will sell pastries, caviar, foie gras, and honey.

“The employees in Palm Beach told me they have no place to eat, so if you are working there, you will get a big discount at the cafe,’’ he promised.

Despite all the growth, Delgrange is continually felt in New York, Sag Harbor and Palm Beach, and customers expect to see him.

“Last night I went home at 9 p.m., and an actor who came in said he really wanted to see me,’’ sighed Delgrange. “I almost went back. The story of Le Bilboquet is not about space; who is going? These people have supported me for 50 years; their children and grandchildren are customers. Running restaurants is difficult, but the rewards are enormous. It’s not just business; it’s friendship.