David Serus has been appointed as Executive Chef at Montage Laguna Beach

Raised in Le Mans, France, and taking early inspiration from watching his grandmother in her kitchen and working at his uncle's bakery during school vacations, Serus knew early on excelling at fine hotel restaurants would be his chosen career. After attending cooking school in Quimper, France, he served a year in the French navy and then worked at two Michelin Star restaurants - one in London and the other in the South of France. He went on to work seven years at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, followed by 17 years working for The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts across the U.S., including serving as executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Arizona; The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando Grand Lakes, Florida; and The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. In 2013, Serus was awarded the prestigious title of Maître Cuisiniers de France (Master Chef of France) from the French culinary community, of which there are only 86 in the U.S. He's an avid cookbook collector and enjoys exploring the region on his motorcycle.