In Paris, bourgeois cuisine has never been so modern

Beware of misunderstanding! The expression "bourgeois cuisine" is a semantic paradox. Its intentions are wrongly contrasted with those of popular cuisine. However, you only have to leaf through Jean-François Piège's Grand Livre de la cuisine française to understand that both are in fact derived from the same cocotte. Poule au pot, shoulder of lamb à la cuillère, boeuf bourguignon... The chef from the Grand Restaurant in Paris subtitles his opus "bourgeois and popular recipes". That says it all.

Generally speaking, these are family recipes, many of which bring back memories of a Sunday spent around the table. Their hallmark is often their hearty character, with a strong presence of cream and butter, as in Joseph Viola's latest book, entitled "La délicieuse cuisine traditionnelle française" (published October 4, 2024 by Editions de La Martinière), which features bouchée à la Reine and sole meunière. Bourgeois cuisine is less a culinary style than a battery of skills and recipes that have evolved as French society has changed, as Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat so aptly describes in her indispensable grimoire "Histoire de la cuisine bourgeoise: du Moyen Âge à nos jours".

As a sign of a new era, bourgeois cuisine is demonstrating its ability to remain deliciously modern, thanks to a multitude of establishments cooking up their own definition. Here's proof in six.

Bourgeois cuisine at a multi-toque establishment: La Ferme du Pré

So there's nothing new to devour? Actually, there is! Because in Paris, traditional French cuisine has never been so popular, even resurrecting the herring and apple in oil that has all but disappeared from the menu. Just imagine: even the luxurious Pré Catelan has brought itself up to date with the opening of Ferme du Pré, which assumes a country inn feel by reallocating a function to the Anglo-Norman-style buildings dating back to 1905. "I've had this project in mind for 27 years. I've always said that we should imagine a bistro," confides Frédéric Anton. He adds: "You feel like you're in a village square, thanks to this location in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne". Between steak au poivre and blanquette de beau, some 150 dishes were initially referenced to sculpt the menu and define the culinary framework. "The spirit of the new place can be summed up as "keeping it simple with great chic", according to the top chef.

Bourgeois cuisine in a luxury hotel: Nolinski

It was all decided in the spring, but with the summer season and Olympic Games in full swing, the luxury hotel on Avenue de l'Opéra chose the autumn to completely overhaul the culinary experience at its restaurant."The idea was absolutely not to follow any trend," assures chef Philip Chronopoulos. "Previously, we had been serving world cuisine with a wide variety of dishes. We'd come to the end of this festive cuisine," he admits. Roast yellow poultry with jus and apple purée, macaroni with morel mushrooms, Parisian-style gnocchi... Nolinksi returns to the classics, just as Chef Chronopoulos revisits the skills he learned at the Bocuse school in Lyon. "I perfected my mastery of the codes of French culinary traditions by working alongside the Robuchon team for seven years", Philip Chronopoulos explains. For the Greek-born chef, bourgeois cuisine is nothing lessthan "a generous, gourmet cuisine" that must not be tampered with. "We have to sublimate it by making good juices and tasty homemade broths, with well-sourced meat. We have to be precise in our recipes," he insists. However, Chef Chronopulos doesn't shy away from a few twists to add depth to his dishes, like this piece of ginger in the blanquette sauce. You don't feel its presence, yet it makes all the difference. In short, these are grandma's secrets."For mimosa eggs, I assemble the appliance with lemon-infused oil," reveals Chronopoulos. And the topping becomes indeed bluffingly light.

• Nolinski, 16 Av. de l'Opéra, 75001 Paris
• http://n olinskiparis.com

Julie Limont

Bourgeois cuisine in a Parisian institution: La Fontaine Gaillon

Bresse poultry with vinegar, spring onions and lettuce, as well as artichoke fond with foie gras and sesame nut praline... At La Fontaine Gaillon, since the arrival this summer of of Marie-Victorienne Manoa, bourgeois cuisine has taken on an air of Lyonnais traditions, if not a nod to the famous mothers who cooked up the culinary reputation of the capital of the Gauls. The former Top Chef contestant, whose time on TV is not emblematic of her talent (she exited in the second week, editor's note), continues in the same vein as her previous experience at Les Lyonnais, without failing to broaden her repertoire. The young chef revisits the great French classics, even daring to take on recipes that haven't always left schoolchildren with fond memories. Take macédoine. Marie-Victorine Manoa dresses it up with no less than nine different vegetables. An emblematic example of the vegetal accent given to the menu of this emblematic restaurant, now under the Fitz Group banner.

• La Fontaine Gaillon, 1 Rue de la Michodière, 75002 Paris
• www.fitz-group.fr/fontaine-gaillon-paris

Bourgeois cuisine in a broth: Thierry Marx's Bouillon du Coq in Saint-Ouen

If they're an accessible version of the restaurant experience, bouillons are also a reflection of traditional, no-fuss, comfort food. In the same spirit, Thierry Marx has opened his very first table of this kind, choosing the town of Saint-Ouen as his base. If bourgeois cuisine is all about hearty meals, not afraid of sauces and butter, the Bouillon du Coq menu ticks a lot of boxes, with its roast chicken leg au jus and home fries, fish and chips and haddock cream, or knife-grilled sausage with home-made mashed potatoes. Dishes start at 2.90 euros for eggs mayonnaise and go no higher than 18.80 euros for beef onglet.

• Le Bouillon du Coq, 37 Bd Jean Jaurès, 93400 Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine
• https://lebouillonducoq.com

DR

Bourgeois cuisine in a bistro: Bistro Hasard

After all, isn't bourgeois cuisine the kind of cuisine that makes us feel good and happy, simply because it makes us feel good right from the first bite? At Bistro Hasard, chef Matteo Renzi pulls sweet memories as tasty as cordon-bleu, blanquette de veau or croque-monsieur out of our personal grimoires. His secret: cooking everything in-house, to undeniably tickle the little gourmand in all of us. Keep it simple and tasty. This is the guiding principle of this globe-trotting chef, who trained at the Atelier Robuchon and the legendary RyuGin restaurant in Tokyo. Although his roots are in Italy, the toque has perfectly mastered the codes of French culinary traditions since his time as chef at Café de Luce, and doesn't shy away from adding a few twists to his dishes.

• Bistro Hasard,7 Rue de l'Isly, 75008 Paris
• https://bistrohasard.com

Bourgeois cuisine in a café: Café des Ministères

Tradition doesn't preclude innovation, let alone daring. This is undoubtedly the key ingredient of chef Jean Sévègnes. At Café des Ministères, this former loyalist of the Ducasse brigade puts his talent at the service of well-sourced local products, honoring them in traditional French recipes that lack neither gourmandise nor seasoning. Opening his Café in 2019 alongside his wife Roxane, who adapts the bachique choices to suit the dishes, we can point to him as one of the must-haves of this bourgeois wave."Of course we asked ourselves the question of whether or not to serve "star" cuisine, but we wanted a place that felt like a home, our home. Our desire was for a bistro atmosphere," explains chef Jean Sévègnes. He adds, "Dishes in sauce were the main idea. There had to be few elements on the plate, but they had to be really cooked".

Marielle Gaudry

The vol-au-vent known as "Grande tradition", made with sweetbreads, free-range poultry and an ultra-racy truffle jus, has become Café des Ministères' most emblematic dish. Undoubtedly one of the best in Paris."It first arrived as a Friday suggestion. But we didn't think we'd ever feature it. Today, it's inconceivable to take it off the menu!" admits the chef, who considers vol-au-vent"a real Sunday dish"."Many customers tell us it's a buried memory, a dish their grandmother used to make for them" concludes Jean Sévègnes, who relishes the popularity of this dish "that everyone knows and can appropriate with a souvenir ".

• Café des Ministères, 83 Rue de l'Université, 75007 Paris
• https:// www.cafedesministeres.fr