Le Grand Véfour, History and Haute Cuisine in the heart of Paris

I was fortunate to spend 6 weeks in Provence last summer. During this stay, we decided to spend a couple of days in Paris, which is always a lot of fun especially in the summer when the city is empty. I was treated to Le Meurice, one of the 4 palaces in Paris, as well as a visit to Le Grand Véfour restaurant, only a walking distance away from the hotel. Located in the heart of Paris in the 1st Arrondissement, adjacent to the well known Palais Royal Gardens and near to Le Louvre museum, Le Grand Véfour is a two Michelin star gourmet restaurant run since 1991 by Chef Guy Martin.

I have a lot of admiration for Chef Guy Martin who hosts a weekly show on TV5* called Épicerie Fine {Gourmet Delights}. Each show will focus on one ingredient Chef Guy Martin uses in his kitchen, as well as on the farmers and artisans that are behind them. Martin ardently espouses the cause of his légumes oubliés. "All these vegetables are forgotten in Paris and the big cities, but not in the villages," he says. "There, where food is seasonal, you find rutabaga, crosnes, spelt."He devotes much time to seeking out authentic producers of old-fashioned ingredients. The show is way for him to celebrate the savoir-faire, passion and proudness his producers have for their trade and products.
*A french TV network available worldwide.

Le Grand Véfour is a very unique institution in Paris because that it was the first Grand restaurant to open in France in 1784 by Antoine Aubertot. The restaurant first known as the Café de Chartres was later purchased in 1820 by Jean Véfour who rechristened it. Through the Second Empire, the Belle Epoque, into the twentieth century, Le Grand Véfour was at the center of Parisian society*. Over the last 2 centuries many celebrities {Napoleon and Josephine, Danton, Victor Hugo, Colette, Maria Callas and Cocteau} were regulars here and each table is named after one of them.
*To learn more about the history of Le Grand Véfour, I recommend the reading of this expose.

The arcades of the Palais-Royal where we can read "Café de Chartres"


The arcades of the Palais-Royal


Inside the arcades of the Palais-Royal

I was hoping to see Chef Guy Martin, and it was my lucky day. He was very kind, soft spoken and passionate; the exact same person I'm used to see every week on TV. Native from a small village in Savoie {the French Alpine}, the self-taugh chef knows how to create a welcoming atmosphere ... so much you could almost forget you are in an iconic place where a crew of 40 people are here to serve the fortunate 50 clients.

"I cook, like a mother cooks for her children. I cook because I love to cook. I wish to please and to be close to my clients. If one day I find that I cook because I have to, I will stop."

I was blown away by the decor. The dining rooms are furnished with red velvet banquettes and simple black-and-gold Directoire chairs. Most of the ceilings and walls have liver-spotted mirrors in gilt frames or delicate glass-covered paintings in the Neoclassical style. The restaurant survived many crisis, the last one being on Christmastime 1984, when a provocateur tossed a bomb into the dining room, requiring a restoration effort that consumed 16,000 hours. Today, the building is a protected historical monument and must be preserved the way it is ... so no edgy remodel is planned in the future.

Chef Guy Martin


Dining room


Dining set


Le Grand Véfour dining room - Ceiling detail


Dining Room - A private salon is available on the first floor.


Le Menu du Grand Véfour - Cover designed by Jean Cocteau

Comfortably seated on a banquette bearing a copper plate with the name of Balzac, we studied the menu which included classic dishes such as The pigeon Prince Rainier III {a deboned pigeon, stuffed with foie gras, black truffles, and veal forcemeat - used to be a favorite of Prince Rainier III of Monaco}, traditional recipes from the French Alps {the native region of the chef} as well as more contemporary creations with yuzu and tonka bean. We chose different dishes to have a good overview of Guy Martin's cuisine, including of course his signature duck foie gras raviolis with a truffle-flavored emulsion.

While enjoying a glass of Champagne offered by the chef, the Maitre d' gave us a full historic background of the place. Few restaurants in Paris, or for that matter anywhere, are the equal of Le Grand Véfour for innate grandeur, historic context, and graciousness of service. At the end of our meal, Romain the Maitre Sommelier gave me a restaurant's postcard where he attached the wine label from the bottle we enjoyed during our diner. A very delicate attention...

Le Menu du Grand Véfour


Mise en Bouche


Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches 2007 - Domaine Nicolas Rossignol


Ravioles de foie gras, crème foisonnée truffée (Duck liver raviolis, truffles cream emulsion) - 94 €


Langoustines juste saisies, tomates roties aux aromates, crumble au vinaigre balsamique (Big Bay prawns fried quickly, roasted tomatoes with aromates, balsamic vinegar crumble) - 108€


Filet de Saint-Pierre cuit sur la peau, pousse d'épinard au parmesan, émulsion de piment doux fumé, fin copeaux de Chorizo (Filet of John Doré fish roasted on its skin, spinach leaves with parmesan, sweet smoked pimiento emulsion, thin slices of chorizo) - 96€


Ris de veau croustillant aux petits pois et gnocchis de carotte, jus rehaussé au cresson (Crispy Sweetbread with small peas and carrot, watercress juice) - 96€


La Table des fromages fermiers de France et de Savoie (Selected farm cheeses from France and Savoy region) - 32€


Pre-Desserts - Mignardises - Pastry Chef Thierry Molinengo


Pre-Desserts - Mignardises


Moelleux au fromage frais en faisselle, des fraises et rhubarbe en sorbet (Soft white cheese, strawberries and rhubarb in sherbet)- 34€


Palet noisette et chocolat au lait, glace au caramel brun et prise de sel Guérande (Milk chocolate mousse on hazelnut pastry, caramel ice-cream and Guérande sea salt) - 34€


Crème brulée aux artichauts, légumes confits, sorbet aux amandes ameres (Artichoke « crème brûlée », candies vegetables, bitter almonds sherbet) - 34€

We had an incredible culinary experience at Le Grand Véfour. Although the price may be a bit stiff*, I would highly recommend the restaurant, especially if you are visiting Paris and are interested in French history.
*The restaurant has a lunchtime set menu called "Les Dejeuners du Grand Véfour" at 98€, a real bargain

Entrance of the restaurant - Waiting for a taxi


With the Chef!

For more information

Le Grand Véfour

17, Rue du Beaujolais
75001 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 96 56 27
Fax: +33 (0)1 42 86 80 71
Closed annually: August, Dec 24th & 25th, Jan 1rst.
Website and Contact page

The restaurant is open for Lunch and Dinner everyday except Saturdays & Sundays. A fix price menus at 98€ is available on lunchtime only. On both Lunch and dinner, A la Carte service as well as a fixed price Menu Plaisir at 298€ are proposed. A lovely private, restored and air-conditioned salon that can accommodate 8 to 20 guests is available on the first floor.

Interactive map

Check out our interactive map of Paris to see where I took all the pictures featured in this article.