Born in the Auvergne region of central France, Bernard had decided to become a chef as a teenager, apprenticing at the famous La Maison Troisgros, run by the Great Chef brothers, between 1968 and 1971.

In 1972, he began working for restaurateur Claude Verger and was soon hailed as a proponent of the nouvelle cuisine style. When Verger bought La Cote d’Or in 1975, he brought Loiseau over as Executive Chef. In 1982 Chef Bernard Loiseau and his wife Dominique, bought out Verger and in 1991 Michelin Guide bestowed the coveted 3-star rating on the establishment.

In 1998, Great Chefs Television converged on the chef, the same day he established the concept of having one’s restaurant incorporated and traded in the market. It was the first star restaurant in France to do so, and there was great celebration. Chef Loiseau said he was very busy and could only allow us to tape one dish. Well, one dish turned into three dishes, a delightful long lunch, followed by a one hour interview in front of his fireplace! The Frog Legs dish appear in Great Chefs of the World, episode 182; the Mushroom Soup appears in episode 3, and the Squab and Cabbage Stuffed Foie Gras appears in episode 5, both in the Great Chefs of France series.

In February 2003, under the supposed threat of losing a Michelin Star, Chef Bernard Loiseau took his own life. Today, his wife Dominique Loiseau continues the restaurant operation under Chef Patrick Bertron.