Chef Felipe began his journey with The Bastion Collection in 2019 with the opening of Le Jardinier in New York City, where he served as a Sous Chef, honing his craft and absorbing the teachings from Michelin-starred Chef Alain Verzeroli. During the pandemic, Chef Felipe spent time working at Le Jardinier Miami, before traveling to Houston in 2021 to join the opening team for Le Jardinier at MFAH, which was awarded one Michelin star in Texas’ inaugural 2024 Michelin Guide and retained it in 2025.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Chef Felipe has always loved cooking for his family. From a very young age, he remembers using ingredients he could exclusively find in his hometown, experimenting in the kitchen and dreaming of one day joining a Michelin star culinary team.

Early on in his career, Chef Felipe had the opportunity to work closely with renowned celebrity Chef Sam Hazen, at New York City’s Michelin-starred Veritas, which was one of New York’s most unique restaurants with a world-famous wine cellar. Later, he worked at The Chester, an all-day American restaurant located in the Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC, as a Sous Chef. In 2016, he moved on to Union Square Café, which was part of the legendary Danny Meyer’s empire, where he first worked as a line cook and later as the Private Dining Room Sous Chef. While Chef Felipe was on the culinary team, the restaurant received a 4 Star New York Times review.

Chef Felipe brings his creativity, exceptional technique and fine palate to his role at Le Jardinier at MFAH.