Anthony Denon, a chef with nearly two decades of training under renowned chefs, has operated his own restaurant in Toulon's city center for nearly a year. His establishment, Shanael, is the only one in the city with a Michelin star, focusing on vegetables as the main attraction, combined with elements of French cuisine. Denon was born into a family of culinary professionals, including his father, who was a chef at Bouillon Chartier in Paris, and his uncles and aunts, who were chocolatiers and butchers. He naturally gravitated toward the culinary arts, learning to cook at a young age. His parents initially encouraged him to pursue education and sports, but he eventually followed his passion and enrolled in a vocational culinary school. Denon worked at the Hôtel de Crillon under Jean-François Piège, where his interest in haute cuisine developed. He then spent 12 years in the Ducasse sphere, working at Louis XV in Monaco, the Plaza Athénée, and the Meurice under Christophe Saintagne. In 2017, he became a chef at Rech by Alain Ducasse and later joined Christophe Saintagne's first entrepreneurial venture, Le Papillon. In 2020, he became the executive chef at La Table du Connétable at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume in Chantilly, retaining the Michelin star. He repeated this success by joining Le Baudelaire in 2022. Denon describes himself as a hybrid of cuisine influenced by Jean-François Piège and Alain Ducasse, refined by Christophe Saintagne. He credits Saintagne with shaping his career, noting their professional and personal relationship, as Saintagne is the godfather of his son. Denon decided to open his own restaurant in 2025, despite a comfortable position at Burgundy. He was drawn to Toulon, a city undergoing transformation, and partnered with his wife, Laetitia, who manages the restaurant's back office and serves as the hostess. The restaurant, named Shanael, is a contraction of their children's names, Shannon and Naël. It is located in the former site of a well-known fish restaurant, with only the four walls retained during the renovation. The 32-seat restaurant, opened in December 2025, features a chic and relaxed atmosphere with cream tones and noble materials such as stone and wood. The menu emphasizes vegetables, with 70% of the composition being plant-based, complemented by high-quality proteins. Denon uses historical suppliers and local producers for ingredients such as pomegranates, citrus, herbs, and sprouts. He highlights the herbaceous and powerful side of plants and incorporates sauces and marinades reminiscent of traditional French cuisine. The restaurant offers a complete lunch menu for 59 euros that changes daily, along with multi-course menus. Plans include cooking classes and a chef's table on the upper floor for groups. Denon also intends to open a second location in Toulon in the autumn, featuring a lunch menu centered on fresh products and salads, along with a gourmet grocery. He expressed pride in receiving a Michelin star in March 2026, just months after opening, noting that many doubted the project's viability.