Bruno Doucet at the helm of Grand Véfour

A few months after the departure of Guy Martin, who embodied the place for over thirty years, the Palais-Royal institution reopened its doors with Bruno Doucet at the head of the kitchens. This choice came as a surprise to some in the gastronomic world. Known for his work at La RégaladeBruno Doucet belongs more to the family of bistronomic chefs than to that of the great Parisian palaces. Yet it’s this clearer, warmer, more direct approach that seems to have seduced the new owners, Paris Society and the Accor Group. The 52-year-old chef wants to preserve the “soul” of Le Grand Véfour while injecting more spontaneity into the house. On the menu, you’ll find bourgeois, seasonal cuisine, a tribute to Raymond Oliver and nods to the restaurant’s heritage: foie gras and smoked eel, skate wing with beurre blanc, caviar or squab with French peas. In a gastronomic Paris often divided between ultra-contemporary tables and institutions frozen in their prestige, Bruno Doucet’s arrival at Le Grand Véfour could mark a third way: that of a great historic house seeking to become alive again.