He is the owner of the restaurant La Côte Saint Jacques located in Joigny, department of Yonne in the region of Bourgogne.

Michel Lorain began his training course with a pastry chef and then succeeded to his mother at La Côte Saint Jacques in 1958 with his wife Jacqueline, a wine waiter.

The following year, La Côte Saint Jacques joined the hotel and restaurant network Relais & Châteaux.

In 1986, Michel and Jean-Michel Lorain received the grade of 19.5/20 at the Gault et Millau and the third Michelin star.

In 2004, the restaurant La Côte Saint Jacques recovered its third Michelin star lost in 2001 due to important renovations to improve the establishment, and kept it until 2015.