Valice Francis

	Valice Francis
Born	26 August, Delhi, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Executive Chef, Culinary Consultant
Years active	2008–present
Known for	Progressive Indian cuisine and international hospitality operations
Title	Corporate Chef
Style	Progressive cuisine, Modern Indian cuisine
Children	1
Current restaurant	Barnaan Restaurant, Connecticut, United States
Residence	United States

Valice Francis is an Indian executive chef and culinary consultant known for his work in fine dining, modern Indian cuisine, and international hospitality management. He has worked with globally recognised restaurant brands including ROOH San Francisco, Indian Accent New York, Indian Accent New Delhi, and Masala Library.

Francis is known for blending traditional Indian culinary traditions with modern presentation styles and innovative cooking techniques. Over the course of his culinary career, he has worked in luxury hospitality establishments across India, the United States, Bahrain, and the Cayman Islands.

He currently serves as Corporate Chef at Barnaan Restaurant in Connecticut, United States.

Early life and background

Valice Francis was born in Delhi, India. He developed an interest in food culture and hospitality during his early years and later entered the professional culinary industry with a focus on luxury dining and international restaurant operations.

Professional career

Early hospitality experience

Francis started his career in 2008 at Trident BKC Hotel in Mumbai as an Assistant Chef. During this period, he worked at the restaurant Botocino, where he trained in Italian cuisine, butchery techniques, and hotel kitchen operations.

In 2011, he joined The Leela Palace New Delhi and worked at Le Cirque, a luxury restaurant specialising in French and Italian gourmet cuisine. The experience exposed him to international hospitality standards and high-end fine dining systems.

International assignments

In 2013, Francis moved to the Cayman Islands and joined Ragazzi Italian Restaurant as Sous Chef. He was later promoted to Outlet Chef, overseeing kitchen administration and large-scale dining operations.

In 2016, after returning to India, he became associated with Masala Library in New Delhi as Outlet Chef (Senior Sous Chef). The restaurant was recognised for introducing innovative concepts related to molecular gastronomy and contemporary Indian cuisine.

In 2017, he joined Indian Accent New Delhi as Chef de Cuisine. During his tenure, he supervised culinary execution, restaurant kitchen systems, and premium dining operations at one of India’s internationally recognised restaurants.

Executive leadership

Francis later joined Hakuna Matata Ltd. as Executive Chef, where he supervised culinary operations for restaurants including Daarukhana and Slide on 69. The establishments focused on progressive Indian cuisine and European-inspired culinary concepts.

In 2020, he was appointed Corporate Head Chef at Cucina Hospitality for The House of Celeste Restaurant in Gurugram, Haryana. His responsibilities included menu engineering, restaurant management, and culinary innovation.

In 2021, Francis worked in Bahrain as Corporate Head Chef and hospitality consultant for MAF & Co Hospitality. He managed operations for several restaurant brands, including:

Raju Bhai – Progressive Indian cuisine
Butcher’s Knife – Premium steakhouse
Shawarma Mama – Arabic fast-food restaurant

Indian Accent and ROOH

In 2022, Francis joined Indian Accent New York as Head Chef under celebrity chef Manish Mehrotra. During this period, the restaurant continued to receive international appreciation for its modern Indian dining experience.

In 2023, Francis became Head Chef at ROOH San Francisco in California. He managed menu development, catering operations, fine dining services, and culinary strategy for the restaurant.

During his tenure, the restaurant received recognition connected to the Michelin Guide for its contemporary interpretation of Indian cuisine.

Current role

In 2025, Francis became associated with Davol Restaurant and later joined Barnaan Restaurant in Connecticut as Corporate Chef.

His work focuses on:

Culinary consulting
Fine dining management
Menu innovation
Hospitality operations
Progressive Indian cuisine

Culinary expertise

Valice Francis is known for expertise in:

Progressive cuisine
Molecular gastronomy
Fine dining operations
International hospitality management
Culinary research and menu development

His culinary philosophy combines Indian ingredients and regional flavours with contemporary global gastronomy techniques.

Media presence and recognition

Valice Francis has appeared in hospitality publications and culinary media platforms for his contribution to modern Indian cuisine and international fine dining.

His restaurant collaborations, hospitality projects, and culinary events have been covered by digital food publications and international hospitality media outlets.

In 2025, his work at ROOH San Francisco received Michelin Guide-related media recognition for progressive Indian cuisine.

Personal life

Valice Francis resides in the United States.

External links

Valice Francis on LinkedIn
Valice Francis on Instagram