At the Paul Bocuse restaurant, a centenarian with a taste for tomorrow

"Classic or modern, there's only one cuisine, and it's a good one!" Like a proverb, this phrase uttered by Paul Bocuse still resonates in Collonges-au-Mont-d'or, where the emblematic home of the chef of the century has been fully booked since the beginning of the year. " It's the best season since the restaurant opened its doors to guests," says Vincent Le Roux, husband of Bocuse's granddaughter and engaging restaurant manager. Six years after the death of the man still affectionately known as Monsieur Paul, the Maison Bocuse celebrates its centenary.

It all began in 1924, when Irma Roulier, Paul Bocuse's mother, and her husband Georges Bocuse took over the family establishment, Hôtel du Pont de Collonges. One hundred years later, the red-and-green-walled building on the banks of the Saône still attracts curious onlookers as much as it does gourmets. Last May, the Paul Bocuse restaurant (4 toques) opened its doors for the first time, even to those who don't dine in. And it was a huge success! Within a quarter of an hour, all seats were taken.

Backstage and in the dining room, you can imagine that everything has changed. Because the restaurant closes two days a week. Because the number of covers has been reduced to 80. Because major renovations have put an end to the famous salmon-colored tapestry to let in more sunlight and create a corridor of light to the kitchen. But in reality, nothing has really changed. The house of gastronomy is as vibrant as ever, with an indescribable soul and atmosphere. A visit to Bocuse is not something to be savored, it's something to be experienced. To try and understand how such a legendary address manages to keep up with the times while preserving its historical heritage, we sat down with one of its Meilleur Ouvrier de France chefs, Oliver Couvin, and its pastry chef, Benoît Charvet. Interview.

© DR

Isn't it moving to be celebrating the 100th anniversary of a house as emblematic as Paul Bocuse's?

Olivier Couvin: The emotion starts as soon as you walk through the door. But I have to admit that you don't always remember how lucky you are to work in this house, as you're there every day. And yet, it's just as beautiful as it was in its heyday.

Do you remember your very first day?

Olivier Couvin: Yes, I arrived in Collonges stressed out, and found Monsieur Paul in the little square opposite the entrance. He was sitting on a bench, as he does every morning when there's a ray of sunshine. The boss says, "What are you doing here? I replied, "I've come to work for you". We sat next to each other, saying nothing. It was a moment out of time. And after a while, he said to me, "Maybe you'll go to work now" (laughs). I went off to work to begin almost 24 years of collaboration.

Benoît Charvet: It's a company that has always fascinated me. I never imagined I'd one day be working here, even when I was pastry chef at the Georges Blanc restaurant (Gault&Millau Académie). Patisserie wasn't in the spotlight, so I couldn't see myself working on a project that suited me. One day, Vincent Le Roux said to me "If Monsieur Paul were still here, he wouldn't accept what you're doing today, but from up there he must think we're doing a great job". And he's right. There's a time for everything, and the timing wasn't right for this patisserie in Monsieur Paul's day.

Didn't Monsieur Paul recruit you, Chef Couvin?

Olivier Couvin: No, I was working at Col de Malval (Vaugneray), 500 m from where Paul Bocuse did his apprenticeship with Mère Brazier. My sister, who worked at the Paul Bocuse Institute, encouraged me to send my CV to the restaurant in Collonges, with the Institute's seal. And it was Roger Jaloux who called me (the head chef at Maison Bocuse, editor's note). He told me that he needed me in Burgundy and that I should be ready as soon as a position opened up in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or. That's how I got my start, as demi-chef de partie in the rotisserie.

In the kitchen, what have been the milestones since Monsieur Paul's death?

Olivier Couvin: When you lose such a guide, such a father, you're inevitably destabilized. We were lost for six months. Emotionally, it was difficult. And culinarily too, because we weren't at home, and we're still not. So we wondered how we should run the house and what freedoms we could take, or not. At the time, I was already campaigning hard to reduce the number of place settings. I knew we could increase the sliders given the quality team we had. We also decided to close the restaurant on two consecutive days, Mondays and Tuesdays. This meant we could have all our staff on hand on the days we were open. We overturned the house's codes without losing its identity as a family-run establishment.

Benoît Charvet: The patisserie was part of the house's renewal plan. When I arrived in November 2019, everything had to be revamped. The restaurant was out of step with the times in this respect. I was asked to "change without changing anything" (laughs). The idea was to anchor myself in the DNA of the house, while bringing in my own philosophy. We had to undertake a titanic task to redo the dessert carts, rethink the laboratory, the crockery and even the menu, integrating gluten-free and lactose-free desserts. We've implemented a rational approach to pastry-making. No more strawberries in December.

How have you redesigned the dessert cart without changing its character?

Benoît Charvet: It's part of the house's identity, but it's important to put it in context, to understand that for a long time people associated the house with the dessert cart. In fact, it consisted of four silver platters on which large pieces were presented for sharing. But there was no such thing as a dessert trolley. Since the legend had been made, I decided to create a real dessert cart. A first in my career. We also started thinking about waste by reducing portions. We also kept the floating island, which was Monsieur Paul's signature dessert. We've reworked it in a contemporary way without changing the recipe, apart from adding a runny vanilla caramel inside the egg whites. It's a service in the dining room that dusts it off, with the flambéing of an opaline. We play with temperatures and textures.

And you've introduced plated desserts that didn't exist in the past - it's a real revolution!

Benoît Charvet: More like an evolution (smiles). The word revolution is too intense. We're continuing the story, not changing it.

Since the beginning of the year, you've been sold out, and this is your best season since the house opened in 1924. What's your recipe for success?

Olivier Couvin: The customer experience has to be as magnificent as possible! When guests spotted Monsieur Paul, their happiness was multiplied. He was such a charismatic person. Given his absence, we have to be even stronger!

Benoît Charvet: The name Bocuse is still very much in people's minds. When you come to Lyon, you book at Bocuse's, just as when you visit Paris, you don't miss the Eiffel Tower. We're trying to perpetuate everything that constitutes the strength of the house, while at the same time embracing a new vision and a new dynamic. And I think that's arousing interest!

How do you manage to maintain the heritage of the Maison Bocuse while keeping it current and modern?

Olivier Couvin: We don't create cuisine d'auteur, but traditional French cuisine. You're touched by a sauce, an accompaniment, or even a detail that reminds you of a childhood memory. It's a cuisine of emotions. Take Fernand Point's sole, for example. It took me four years to find the right version of the recipe. We kept the sauce and the glaze, but forgot the tomato or the mushrooms, which logically cannot be served all year round. The subtlety of our exercise is to change things without it being noticeable. We also decided to include truffle soup only during the appropriate season, which earned us some insults, by the way. We changed the puff pastry, the consommé and the quality of the meats and foie gras. Today, no one invents anything in gastronomy. Monsieur Paul bought us the Escoffier. I still use it today. I change the menu four times a year. I change the codes at that time, but there are some dishes that will remain forever. They are our roots, and around them we build and have fun, like with the foie gras des gones.

As a chef, how do you establish your culinary identity in such an emblematic establishment?

Olivier Couvin: I'm one of Paul Bocuse's chefs. In life, some people will accept to work for just one person. As far as I'm concerned, I've decided to work with the chef of the century. That's enough for me! I don't need to be at the top of the bill. All I care about is that this house shines for another 20, 30, 40 or even 100 years. You can't want to be in this house and think about existing on your own.

So you'll never open your own Chef Couvin restaurant?

Olivier Couvin: I'm not saying I told Monsieur Paul that, but it's just the same! I'd feel like abandoning a house and Monsieur Paul. Of course, it can run without me. It's a house that's visceral to us, even if it's not our own.