CHEF AND CO-FOUNDER OF LIVINGSTON MARSEILLE VALENTIN RAFFALI
Valentin Raffali
Born and raised in the South of France. Cooked his way through New York. Came home and set Marseille on fire — literally.
What I do is radical and I don't fuck around.
I spend my life cooking and I love it.
I get bored very quickly and the energy of a new plate is beautiful.
14. Apprentice. Skate shoes & beer money.
His first kitchen job came at age fourteen — an apprenticeship that gave him freedom and independence before he fully understood what either word meant.
He could buy skate shoes and beers with friends. He always wanted to have that freedom.
Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef was his first cookbook. He lost his father young — and the few memories he has of him are of cooking. He comes from an honest, hard-working family where moments around the table mattered.
Gut first. Rules never.
Things change often in the kitchen. But Val follows his gut — the creation process is spontaneous. He gets bored very quickly, and the energy of a new plate is beautiful.
When the energy naturally disappears — after 2, maybe 3 days — the dish is out. Something new is born.
He designs dishes based on what is available, and works with the same producers he's been loyal to for years. They start the work. He follows.
Fed Him
Marseille Is Diversity. Marseille Is Loud. Don't Be Late At The Green Light.
North African influence, Italians, Comorians — Marseille's identity is built on cultural exchange and the naturally warm, accessible energy of its people. The food scene revival has been unlocked by young, motivated hard workers who each bring something new — something more exciting, or even funny. Our identity is not defined by where we're from but by what we stand for.
"It's the science of a controversial pain, being a chef will hurt you, will smoke your brain. We are locked up in a jail that we love — everybody wants to be out of it but it's been 10 years and you are still there, you look older than you should brother, how was Vietnam?"
Organic · Natural · Val-Approved
was to create
a place I'd go to
with friends.
@valentinraffaliInstagram
@livingstonmarseilleThe Restaurant
Marseille · FranceHome Base
Le Fooding 2022Best French Wine Bar
Photos taken by Valentin Raffali on Ilford