James Beard Award-finalist Restaurateur and Chef Oliver Poilevey is executive chef and co-owner of Chicago’s James Beard Award-nominated Obélix, in River North, as well as the 2025 Jean Banchet Award-winner for Best Neighborhood Restaurant, Le Bouchon, in Bucktown.

A native Chicagoan, Poilevey began his culinary career at the age of 13 at La Sardine. He worked under the watchful eye of both Chef Gallegos and his father, Chef Jean-Claude Poilevey. At 19 he moved to France to work on a vineyard and at Le Duc Bistro in Paris.

Poilevey’s passion for travel and cooking led him to Hawaii, Los Angeles and Florida where he continued to develop his culinary skills. In 2013, Oliver returned to Chicago and worked at The Publican under Chef Paul Kahan and Brian Houston for a little over a year. In 2014 his father hired him as Sous Chef at Bucktown mainstay, Le Bouchon.

As the current chef/owners of Le Bouchon and now also Obélix, Poilevey and his brother Nicolas carry on the Le Bouchon tradition begun by their parents. Opened in 2022, the cuisine at Obélix is characterized by its use of “recherché international ingredients” to gently modernize French flavors, emphasizing balanced seasoning and high-level execution. This approach results in dishes that feel both original and timeless. Noteworthy items include the inventive foie gras taco, a beef tartare featuring an Asian influence with banh mi pickles and kelp, and expert handling of duck, which is offered in various forms, such as a dry-aged Rohan duck breast. The menu also highlights classics that demonstrate a strong focus on pastry and bread work.