Charles Coulombeau takes over the Centre Pompidou-Metz restaurant

The year 2024 should be a busy one for Charles Coulombeau. The chef from La Maison dans le Parc in Nancy is taking over the restaurant at the Centre Pompidou-Metz, opening two separate restaurants by June.

One address, two restaurants

In early summer 2023, Charles Coulombeau was approached by the Centre Pompidou-Metz to relaunch the restaurant business, which had been at a standstill since the health crisis. While in the past, the establishment was home to traditional brasserie-style restaurants, the chef from La Maison dans le Parc (3 toques) has a very different idea for reviving the premises. "Thespace totals 700m2 (including the kitchen) and for me, two spaces stood out: a large room seating almost 100, and another seating 30. So I'm going to make a different restaurant in each room, with a shared kitchen for both," sums up Charles Coulombeau.

The largest room will be dedicated to the brasserie, for lunch only, from Wednesday to Sunday. "We'll be serving comforting, accessible French dishes, but revisited with a Japanese twist.The Centre Pompidou-Metz was designed by a Japanese architect, and I myself have had some professional experience in Japan. So it seemed a logical choice," explains the chef, who points out that you'll be able to try eggs-mayo with miso or veal blanquette with wasabi.

For dinner, the other room will come to life to host an omakase-inspired gourmet restaurant, i.e. a large Japanese-style tasting menu featuring fresh, local produce and a technique between France and Japan. "My assistant chef, Baptiste Depême, is going to help me a lot with this project. I'm also training another chef who will be there at lunchtime and in the evening to act as a link between the brasserie and the gastronomic side of the business, and ensure the same rigorous standards," explains Charles Coulombeau. "We'd also like to integrate disabled workers into the brasserie. If all goes well, these new restaurants will open on June 5, 2024.