Fleur De Sel has had the good fortune of attracting some incredible talent in both the kitchen and the front of the house. The team is passionate about creating memorable experiences for every guest that enters the restaurant. Whether it’s through a unique 9 course tasting menu, or the personable table-side interaction, every member of the crew plays an important role in delivering this experience.
THE PROPRIETORS
CHEF MARTIN RUIZ SALVADOR
chef & co-owner
Martin Ruiz Salvador was born and raised in Nova Scotia. He began his culinary career as a young dishwasher in Halifax then worked his way across the country as a line cook. When he decided that cooking would be his life, Martin enrolled in the two-year Le Cordon Bleu Program at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona. Upon graduation, he went to Europe where he apprenticed at Dublin’s Michelin-starred Commons Restaurant under Chef Aiden Byrne.
With a desire to hone his skills and mastery of French cooking, Martin then moved on to the source - the culinary Mecca of Lyon - where he did back-to back stints at Michelin 2 starred Restaurant Lyon de Lyon with Chef Jean-Paul LaCombe, followed by an inspiring term at Caro de Lyon under the tutelage of renowned Chef Frédérick Côte. Upon returning to Canada, Martin decided that he wanted to open his own fine dining restaurant in rural Nova Scotia. In 2004, he and his wife Sylvie opened Fleur de Sel in Lunenburg where Martin’s menus harmoniously meld his classical French training with his own Nova Scotian roots and locale.
In 2005, Fleur de Sel earned eighth spot in En Route’s Top Ten New Restaurants in Canada. Martin has since opened The Salt Shaker Deli & The South Shore Fish Shack in Lunenburg, cooked at James Beard House in New York, competed in the National Gold Medal plates competition in 2008 & 2013, represented Nova Scotia at The Canadian Chefs Congress and has held Four Diamonds with CAA since 2007. This year, Fleur de Sel was named #22 by Canada’s Best 100 Restaurants Magazine.
SYLVIE RUIZ SALVADOR
Maitre D' & co-owner
Since a very young age Sylvie has been actively involved in the restaurant industry in various capacities, but it wasn’t until she finished school that she realized it was the front of the house that was her true calling. Sylvie honed her skills at many respected restaurants in Nova Scotia and also spent time working in France before returning home in 2004 to open Fleur De Sel with her husband and business partner, Martin Ruiz Salvador.
Sylvie and her team have a special ability to create a comfortable and casual atmosphere, without compromising on fine dining service standards. She has a gift when it comes to making a personal connection with her guests, which it is why Fleur De Sel has a loyal following who continue to return to the restaurant year after year.