Evens López, Chef de Cuisine, La Dame de Pic London: "Holding two Michelin stars is a big responsibility”

As part of our Heroes of the Hotplate series, we sat down to chat with Evens López, Chef de cuisine at 2 Michelin star restaurant La Dame de Pic London about bringing his Peruvian roots to the capital’s fine dining scene, working with chef greats in Paris and London, and what he hopes for his culinary future.

Evens López, Chef de Cuisine at La Dame de Pic London, studied under Yannick Alléno, a 3 Michelin-starred French Chef who leads 18 of the globe’s finest restaurants. Trained at Yannick’s Pavillon Ledoyen, a 3 Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris was better than he could have imagined. “I arrived there without speaking French, so you can imagine how complicated that might have been,” says Evens.

Working from the very basics up, Evens learned his culinary skills under Yannick, developing his ingredient knowledge and honing his craft. Soon, he was working with the celebrated chef as a shadow chef de partie. “Being in Paris with Yannick Alléno was one of the most important experiences I had, and he welcomed me with open arms,” Evens shares.

Family, feasts and favourite memories from Peru

Born and raised in Peru, Evens brings the stunning landscape, experiences and people from his home soil with him into his leadership and creations. Describing what it was like growing up in Peru tells you everything you need to know. In one word, it’s “beautiful”, he says. What’s South America’s loss is truly the UK’s gain, with Evens infusing every dish with the country’s flavours and style.

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For Evens, growing up in Peru, was all about dining with family. “I'm Latino, so my family's huge,” he shares. Sundays were known to be a big feast, with lots of cousins, aunties and uncles getting together around the table. “There was never a Sunday where the family weren’t coming over—we're talking about 20-plus people.”

A fine venue for fine dining

With food and family such a stalwart of life in Peru, it’s natural that Evens brings those friendly and feasting vibes to the kitchen and restaurant. And what a restaurant it is at the La Dame de Pic London located in the revered Four Seasons Hotel. “We are really privileged to be working in such a big name as The Four Seasons. There is always this nice exchange between the hotel and the restaurant, and we collaborate together to achieve what we want,” says Evens.

Inventive, high-end French cuisine at its finest, 2 Michelin-starred La Dame de Pic London is the vision of Anne-Sophie Pic, the world’s most decorated French female Michelin-starred chef. “Holding 2 Michelin stars is a big responsibility,” Evens says. And at La Dame de Pic London, the restaurant doesn’t just have one start but two. “So we never take it for granted and are very grateful to have them,” says Evens.

When it comes to the famous culinary sector's accolades, Evens is not stopping at two, though. “We keep pushing and pushing because, in the end, we're here for the guests and our suppliers as well. Without our lovely people coming every day, we—wouldn't be where we are,” he shares.

A chance competition win

Evens’ culinary journey with Anne-Sophie began in 2019 when Evens won a local competition, as a San Pellegrino Young Chef. He then entered another national contest, where he came first. And it was at this one that the renowned gastronomic figure, Anne-Sophie, was on that tournament’s judging panel and admired Evens’ philosophy for cooking. “I think it’s being authentic”, Evens says, on what he believes Anne-Sophie saw in his culinary style.

Working alongside Anne-Sophie in the kitchen remains an incredible opportunity and pleasure for Evens. “I never stop learning, every time I go to balance and develop the menu, there’s always something new that helps me build my knowledge and I love that,” says Evens. “There is a lot of communication, exchange and her philosophy and way of thinking,” Evens adds.

“Of course, I'm really proud of being Peruvian, where I come from, but I'm also shaped by all the experiences that I have had through all these years of experience,” says Evens.

Today, Evens visits France four times a year to continue his professional development with Anne-Sophie. When he’s not in France, they speak on the phone frequently to discuss new ideas, the menu's progress, and guest feedback. That one-to-one exchange is key. “Every time there is an idea coming up, I try to ask for feedback, if there is a way to improve the idea,” says Evens.

Marrying French, British and Peruvian cuisine

Located in the beating heart of the city, the luxury venue brings a unique blend of French classical cooking with British ingredients. “We follow the heritage of French cuisine, but we also love to use and showcase a lot of English ingredients,” says Evens. Currently, La Dame de Pic London’s menu showcases fish from Cornwall, crustaceans from Scotland, meat from Wales, and that’s just to name a few.

The food style at La Dame de Pic London combines French heritage with British products plus a twist of contemporary French cuisine. “We use these base French techniques, but with modernity,” says Evens. And not forgetting, everything Evens puts his hand and ideas on has a touch of Peruvian cooking and his experiences. “We have Peruvian fish on the menu and we’ve got a few things going on that represent my personality,” says Evens.

In London, one of the world's food capitals, it’s unsurprising that catering to the diverse cuisines and taste palettes of visitors to La Dame de Pic is Evens’ greatest struggle. “The biggest challenge has been probably understanding what the London clientele and what the people want, without losing the essence of the restaurant,” says Evens.

Beyond the dish

As for what motivates Evens as a chef, that’s easy: “My team,” he says. “We are all really young, and I can see the passion through the eyes of every one of my chefs,” adds Evens.

Passion, interest and a love for lifelong learning are at the core of how the team collaborate in the kitchen. “With every new season coming up, we get so excited about new products and all this fire motivates not just me but the whole team to keep moving forward,” Evens adds.

Looking at the short term and longer term future of his culinary career and life at La Dame de Pic London, one goal is the same: To keep bookings full. “It gives me goosebumps and makes me excited to have the restaurant fully booked every day.”

Beyond that, it’s about creating the highest quality culinary creations and looking after the entire team. “My main goal is to achieve excellence in this restaurant and make the rest of us successful,” says Evens.