Guy Martin leaves Le Grand Véfour
After thirty-four years at the helm of Le Grand Véfour, Guy Martin announces his departure on December 31, 2025. A serene decision, charged with emotion, that marks the end of an era for this Palais-Royal institution.
A page in the history of French gastronomy is being turned. After thirty-four years of exceptional companionship, Guy Martin will be leaving Le Grand Véfour (2 toques) at the end of 2025. After arriving at this emblematic venue in the gardens of the Palais-Royal in 1991, and acquiring it in 2011, the chef has left a lasting imprint, blending elegance, precision and generosity.
Thirty years of gastronomic history
As soon as he arrived, Guy Martin restored Le Grand Véfour to the nobility of its past. Formerly the Café de Chartres, frequented by the Parisian elite since the post-Revolutionary era, the restaurant has, under his impetus, regained its place among the great French restaurants. Its lively, refined cuisine combines respect for heritage and modernity, making Le Grand Véfour a benchmark address.
But beyond the plate, Guy Martin has made hospitality an art in itself. Every day, for lunch and dinner, he stood at the restaurant entrance to personally welcome guests who had come to celebrate a special moment in their lives. Birthdays, weddings, marriage proposals or simple moments of sharing: Le Grand Véfour has been as much a part of the intimate history of its customers as of Parisian heritage.
Today, Guy Martin is leaving a house he has served with constancy and passion. He is confident and happy about the future of Le Grand Véfour, convinced that the place will continue to shine. Far from marking a slowdown, this departure opens a new chapter: other projects await him, both in France and in Italy, where he is notably a wine owner-grower in the Salento region.
