Boston doesn’t seem a natural progression for a French, Michelin-starred chef, but when Guy Martin was looking for locations for his first American restaurant, the city was top on his list. “I just fell totally in love with Boston,” says the 51-year-old toque, who opened Sensing, a sleek eatery in Boston’s new Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel, last month.

Martin, who also runs the kitchens at Paris’ landmark restaurant Le Grand Véfour and Cristal Room Baccarat, will cook up cuisine similar to that offered at the original Sensing, which he opened in Paris in 2006. He’ll also add a few dishes using fresh ingredients from the Boston area. And, although the decor is minimalist, Martin calls the 70-seat space “very romantic.”

This may appeal to any clients who have a crush on the stylish, handsome chef who, when not at the stove, wears suits by Dior Homme and Yves Saint Laurent. “I’ve become a fan of YSL. I’ve especially liked the brand in the past two or three years,” says Martin, who also plays the guitar.

But for now, his focus remains on food. There are plans to open a third Sensing in Japan by the end of the year, and Martin also maintains Miyou, a luxury-sandwich concept shop he launched last year in Paris at the same time he created his cooking school. With all that’s going on, it’s little wonder he hasn’t had time to improve his English. “In other life, maybe,” he says.

Sensing, Fairmont Battery Wharf, 3 Battery Wharf; 617.994.9000.