Steven De Bruyn
Executive Chef/Wine Director

The Garden City Hotel’s world-class reputation for dining and lavish culinary events is underscored by the award-winning cuisine directed by Executive Chef/Wine Director Steven De Bruyn. A member of the luxury property’s senior team since 1994, De Bruyn oversees all food preparation and wine choices for the #1 Zagat-rated Rein,, banquets, conference services and in-room dining.  De Bruyn creates the finest cuisine to suit any appetite and special occasion.

At Rein, the New American cuisine is influenced by De Bruyn’s own touches of classical French-style cooking with a sophisticated, modern edge in both preparation and presentation.  De Bruyn launched the first state-side pairing of Belgian-style pâté and beer and is innovative with seasonal dishes.  On the winter menu, one may find acorn squash and chanterelle risotto with stuffed rabbit loin and rillette crouton; and in spring, a chilled white asparagus soup with grilled corn-crabmeat salad.  Among his signature entrees are a roasted squab breast with foie gras, fava bean cous-cous, cinnamon-Bing cherry compote and sweet and sour truffle sauce; a pan-seared wild striped bass in a Basque style pepper stew with littleneck clams, chorizo sausage and saffron potatoes; and a veal trilogy - tenderloin with rosemary gremolata and ratatouille, braised veal cheeks and smoked sweetbreads on a green garlic-potato cake.

Under De Bruyn’s direction, Rein has consistently garnered #1 ratings in Zagat Surveys from best food and best service to best brunch. The hotel brunch has also received notice from GAYOT.com, rating it one of the top ten in the country. The New York Times’ Joanne Starkey awarded the restaurant an “Excellent” rating for exceptional cuisine, service and ambience and declared it “the jewel in the crown of The Garden City Hotel.” USA Today ranked it one of America’s top 100 restaurants and the #1 hotel restaurant in New York.  Of the menu at Rein, Richard Jay Scholem of The New York Times raved it is “perhaps Long Island’s most refined, rarified bar menu.” In his dual role as wine director, De Bruyn personally oversees the luxury hotel’s spectacular wine collection and will custom design a menu of fine wines, matched to each course, for private dinners.

In 2007, De Bruyn, a native of Belgium, was inducted into Belgium’s society of master chefs, Les Maîtres-Cuisiniers de Belgique, for upholding the finest quality of Belgian culinary art, tradition and innovation. He is also a recipient of the Maison de Qualité diploma from Le Club Gastronimique Prosper Montagné, a society of French food professionals.  In America, he has been invited to cook at The James Beard House and earned an International Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. Prior to joining The Garden City Hotel, De Bruyn was Executive Chef at two of Belgium’s finest restaurants, ‘t Begijnhofken in Sint-Niklaas and Bistro-Restaurant Journaal in Gent. He has also been Executive Sous Chef for Club Med properties throughout the world, Chef de Cuisine at the Restaurant Jean-Claude Ferrero in Paris, and Pastry Chef and Chef de Partie at Restaurant Claude Dupont in Brussels. De Bruyn’s career began as a graduate from Ter Duinen culinary school in Koksyde and being honored Best Junior Chef of Belgium. De Bruyn also finds time to serve as Chairman of The Jackie Sayegh Duggan Charitable Foundation, organizing an annual food and wine fundraiser for under-privileged children in New York City.