In Lyon, Flavien Guarato creates gastronomic and accessible vegetal and marine cuisine

In Lyon's 6ᵉ arrondissement, chef Flavien Guarato is turning gastronomic paradigms on their head: putting plants at the center of the plate, without denying himself a few marine products, and offering honest, accessible prices.

Tiana Salles Published on 11/13/25 at 3:15 PM

Mertensia is the chef's first restaurant. Opened in February 2025, in place of Le Passe-Temps, this long-matured project marks an important milestone for the chef, formerly second-in-command at Culina Hortus. The restaurant was awarded 2 toques just a few months after opening.

Plant and fish in harmony

At Mertensia, plants guide everything. The fish echoes it, "like a wine and food pairing". No meat - not out of militancy, but out of consistency. "With meat, you go round in circles. Fish offers more finesse and diversity, which is also linked to my travels, particularly to Japan", confides the chef. Every day, the blind menu allows the kitchen to follow the rhythm of producers and arrivals. "We adapt to them, not the other way around. The majority of ingredients are sourced locally, almost entirely French, sustainable and demanding: seaweed from Jean-Marie Pédron in Le Croisic, Mediterranean fish from Matthieu Chapelle. The few exceptions are the spices and Japanese products we occasionally add.

amaury Neury

Gastronomic but honest

The presentation is meticulous and the decor pure. There's no à la carte menu, just six sequences of tasting menus for lunch and eight for dinner (€32 and €39 for lunch / €58 and €72 for dinner). However, Flavien Guarato has no intention of chasing awards. His ambition lies elsewhere: "Our cuisine is gastronomic, but without pretension. The aim is to please people and to please ourselves, but to remain honest, especially in the current period." The more affordable vegetarian cuisine enables him to charge fair prices, without sacrificing quality. The varied clientele reflects this positioning: local residents, business customers, curious young people and loyal regulars. "Vegetable dishes don't appeal to everyone, but the marine pairings open the door to a whole new audience" - a sincere, modern gastronomy that deserves to be discovered.