Pastry Chef

About Dragonne

Dragonne is a contemporary New York bistro opening in the West Village. Rooted in classical French technique with subtle Asian influence, the restaurant is designed to feel elegant yet deeply warm — grounded in hospitality, restraint, energy, and precision.

The menu is seasonal and ingredient-driven, with a strong focus on seafood, vegetables, thoughtful saucework, and refined yet personal cooking. Desserts are intended to provide a graceful conclusion to the meal: balanced, memorable, and rooted in seasonality rather than excess. The dining experience is designed to feel intimate, alive, and emotionally resonant — balancing technical rigor with warmth and humanity.

We are seeking a Pastry Chef to join the opening leadership team and build the restaurant's pastry program from the ground up alongside the Executive Chef.

About the Role

The Pastry Chef will be responsible for developing, executing, and overseeing all pastry and dessert production at Dragonne. This includes creating a thoughtful seasonal dessert menu, producing breads and pastry components, maintaining exceptional quality and consistency, and establishing the systems and standards that will define the pastry program.

This role requires strong technical ability, creativity grounded in restraint, organizational discipline, and genuine care for hospitality. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, collaborative, curious, and composed under pressure.

We are looking for someone who values refinement without ego — someone capable of creating desserts that feel elegant, memorable, and deeply connected to the overall dining experience while helping build a kitchen culture rooted in professionalism, accountability, curiosity, and care.

Responsibilities

Pastry Program & Culinary Execution

• Develop and execute a seasonal dessert program aligned with Dragonne's culinary philosophy.
• Produce desserts, breads, ice creams, sorbets, petits fours, and other pastry components with precision and consistency.
• Collaborate closely with the Executive Chef on seasonal menu development and creative direction.
• Maintain exceptional standards for flavor, texture, presentation, and product quality.
• Continually refine recipes and techniques while respecting seasonality and ingredient integrity.

Kitchen Leadership

• Lead all pastry production with professionalism, organization, and composure.
• Establish efficient production schedules and daily workflows.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and highly disciplined pastry station.
• Support collaboration between pastry, savory, and front-of-house teams.
• Help cultivate a kitchen culture rooted in respect, accountability, urgency, and teamwork.

Hiring, Training & Team Development

• Assist in recruiting, hiring, training, and mentoring pastry cooks as the team grows.
• Develop recipe documentation, prep systems, production schedules, and station standards.
• Foster an environment of learning, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement.
• Lead by example through consistency, humility, and attention to detail.

Operations & Financial Performance

• Manage pastry inventory, ordering, production levels, and food cost controls.
• Maintain organization, receiving procedures, storage standards, and sanitation.
• Ensure compliance with DOH regulations and food safety standards.
• Work collaboratively with ownership and the Executive Chef to support operational efficiency and long-term sustainability.

Qualifications

• Strong passion for hospitality, seasonality, and thoughtful pastry.
• High-level pastry experience in respected restaurants is strongly preferred.
• Strong foundation in classical pastry techniques with an appreciation for contemporary refinement.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Calm, collaborative leadership style grounded in humility and professionalism.
• Strong understanding of breads, laminated doughs, plated desserts, frozen desserts, and pastry production.
• Experience mentoring and developing pastry teams.
• Financial awareness including ordering, inventory management, and food cost controls.
• Collaborative mindset and excellent communication skills.
• Experience opening restaurants or launching pastry programs preferred.
• Minimum 3–5 years of pastry leadership experience preferred.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.

What We're Building

Dragonne is intended to feel timeless, intimate, and alive — a restaurant grounded in rigor without rigidity. We care deeply about atmosphere, rhythm, music, materiality, and emotional warmth just as much as technical execution.

Our pastry program should reflect those same values: desserts that are elegant without being precious, technically refined without excess, and deeply rooted in the seasons. We believe the final course should leave guests with the same sense of warmth, restraint, and generosity that defines the entire meal.

This is an opportunity to build the pastry program from its foundation and become part of the opening leadership team of a chef-driven restaurant, helping shape its culture from the very beginning while working closely alongside the Executive Chef.

Position Details

• Full-time
• Tuesday through Saturday schedule to start
• Dinner service only at opening
• Competitive compensation based on experience
• Opportunities for growth within the company