Having started off his career in a number of three-Michelin-starred kitchens, Philippe Marc entered the culinary world of historic grand palace hotels, travelling through south-east France and working in numerous luxury hotels such as the Vista Palace at Roque Brune, Don Caesar in Antibes and the famous Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, where he first met Alain Ducasse. Leaving these luxury surroundings, Philippe returned to his roots, working in his family-owned restaurant in Lyon. A few years later, having decided to leave for the capital, he won positive reviews as the chef of a small restaurant in the Latin Quarter, catching the attention of Alain Ducasse, who offered him the esteemed position of Executive Chef of the kitchens of the Hôtel Plaza Athénée.