Le Grand Restaurant: the laboratory of haute cuisine!
To taste the cuisine of chef Jean-François Piège, you must first immerse yourself in the place. An intimate, hushed setting where only 10 guests can be lucky enough to sample chef Piège‘s cuisine. As soon as we push open the front door, we’re greeted by the kitchen brigade, who give us a peek at the dishes being prepared.
Chef Jean-François Piège needs no introduction. Head of several restaurants, he cut his teeth in the great Parisian palaces, including Alain Ducasse’s restaurant at the Plaza Athénée. He was also chef at the Crillon Hotel restaurant, where he was awarded 2 stars. Together with his wife, they became owners of Le Grand Restaurant in 2016. Since then, the restaurant has been awarded 2 Michelin stars and 5 Gault&Millau toques.
I had the opportunity to try out chef Jean-François Piège‘s cuisine 3 times, on the occasion of the lunch menu. Knowing the chef’s approach, I knew he’d have no problem offering an entirely vegetarian menu. In fact, since March 2023, a new menu entitled “Tour de France des Territoires Zéro viande Zéro poisson” (directly inspired by the Chef’s latest book , “Zéro viande Zéro poisson”, a real publishing success). Unfortunately, I haven’t yet had the chance to try this menu, but I hope to be able to test it soon.
In my past experiences, I’ve really been won over by Jean-François Piège‘s cuisine. There’s such finesse in the dishes, such work on the product, that you get the impression you’re dealing with little “jewels” of French gastronomy. You can feel the emotions in the dishes, a real story that the chef seeks to bring to the fore.
I fell in love with the asparagus cooked in rice like a modern stew, a dish in which the taste of asparagus was simply incredible (and yet, it’s not my favorite vegetable.) And then, of course, there’s the fabulous “blanc à manger”, Chef Piège ‘s signature dessert. Again, I’m not a big fan of egg whites, but I can assure you that once you’ve tasted this dessert, all you’ll want to do is come back and repeat the experience!
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Chef Jean-François Piège has proved that
French gourmet cuisine can be vegetarian!
A good meal can’t be complete without a good glass of wine, and here again there’s no room for error: the sommelier is always available, offers excellent advice and, above all, suggests little-known wines, not to mention champagnes!
Best Veggie Tables' opinion
To sum up: a visit to the Grand Restaurant is a magnificent tasting experience based on French gastronomy and the products of our regions.
Areas for improvement: I was a little “disappointed” by the main course on the last visit (a soufflé omelette). The dish was very good and very technical, but perhaps a little too “classic”. On the other hand, I can’t wait to try the new zero meat, zero fish menu!
Last visit: February 4, 2023 (3 visits)
Where to find this exceptional table
La Grand Restaurant
Gourmet restaurant – 2 Michelin stars
7 Rue d’Aguesseau, 75008 Paris
Open Monday to Friday, 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Open Thursday and Friday, 12:30pm to 1:30pm