When chefs treat themselves to a restaurant with two atmospheres

On the flip side, there's often a gastronomic offering. On the other, the menu is more bistronomic. Chefs running several addresses is nothing new. But now, they no longer have to work in two places. Instead, they officiate at two distinctly different tables in the same location. A choice that sometimes optimizes raw material costs, by making joint purchases for both locations. In more ways than one, the objective is economic, especially as it reduces food waste. The restaurateurs also aim to appeal to a different clientele, one not necessarily interested in a tasting menu, preferring the affordability of a bistro menu.

Oka in Paris

Brazilian chef Raphaël Rego has decided to turn a page in the history of his restaurant Oka, by changing its address, but above all by giving it two tables in the same location. In place of Christophe Saintagne's former Papillon, the Rio de Janeiro-born chef will articulate, on the one hand, his gastronomic offering, and on the other, a menu devoted to the taste of Brazilian barbecue. The kitchen will be anchored in the middle of the two worlds, imposing itself as a natural separation, while two distinct entrances are planned. "I wanted to put the flame at the heart of my project. Every cook needs to know how to master it. Plus, I wanted to present a place in the spirit of those neighborhood bistros in Rio where everyone meets up," says the chef. At Fogo, we'll be devouring emblematic Brazilian cuts such as the picanha, which a French breeder will supply to Chef Rego. Opening is scheduled for the end of the year.

• 8 Rue Meissonier, 75017 Paris
• Read Gault&Millau's review of Oka

Charlotte Jacobsen

"THE Table d'Hôtes - Le Quatrième Mur in Bordeaux

Two years after setting the table under the majestic vaulted ceiling of the Opéra national de Bordeaux, Philippe Etchebest added a much more intimate table to his chic brasserie in 2017. For this gastronomic promise, you have to descend to the basement and take your place in a sumptuous cellar transformed into a dining room. For each service, only twelve lucky guests enjoy a privileged view of the stoves behind which the cathodic chef's brigade is busy putting together a surprise menu to match carefully selected wines. For lunch or dinner, you'll feel privileged in this hidden setting, when the cooks prepare a sauce, or even better, when Chef Etchebest directs culinary operations.

• 2 place de la Comédie, 33000 Bordeaux
• Read Gault&Millau's review of La Table d'Hôtes
• Read Gault&Millau's review of Le Quatrième Mur

CharlesToulza

Le Petit Jardin in Montpellier

Trained by Davy Tissot, holder of the 2021 Bocuse d'Or, Clément Geudré made no changes to the operation of this Montpellier institution when he became its owner in 2022. Already split into two offerings - one gastronomic and the other bistro-style - the address gives him the opportunity to give free rein to his culinary ideas. "We don't always have inspirations that are necessarily suited to a gourmet restaurant. So you don't feel frustrated by sticking to a single repertoire," he explains. Each location has its own brigade, its own stoves and even its own pantry. Only the pastry chef's post is shared to serve both menus.

• 20 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 34000 Montpellier
• Read Gault&Millau's review of Le Petit Jardin

©Versatile

Pride in Paris

Eighteen months ago, when Eloi Spinnler and his team set up shop in the capital's 11ᵉ arrondissement, everything was already mapped out for the Orgueil project, counting a bistro on one side and a speakeasy-style table on the other. Fueled by a tasting menu, ten covers watch the ballet of the brigade in the kitchen. "We designed it as an immersive experience," says the chef. Above all, the concept is designed to meet ecological aspirations. "We are a zero waste restaurant. By bringing together two offerings in the same place, we optimize raw materials," explains Eloi Spinnler. In this case, the restaurant buys a whole animal and divides the parts between the bistro and the speakeasy. He continues: "For meat, the noble parts are generally reserved for the speakeasy, because we cook them instantly. For vegetables, there's no rule. It's perfectlyacceptable to serve a peel broth in the gourmet section. Next March, the Orgueil team will be back in the 9ᵉ arrondissement with the restaurant Colère, which will follow the same operation. "And we're looking for a third premises for an additional project". To be continued.

• 6 Rue Popincourt, 75011 Paris
• Read Gault&Millau's review of Orgueil

Bierbuik in Lille

A fervent defender of Flemish terroir, Florent Ladeyn has resurrected the most emblematic form of catering in his native region: the estaminet. At the end of 2019, the colossus of the north is dusting off this category of authentic establishment, which once brought diners together over a beer and a game, in an overall project to offer two different ways of dining. Upstairs, the chef of the Auberge du Vert Mont offers an estaminet formula for 28 euros, concocted from wood-fired cooking and fuelled by northern produce. On the first floor, in a "brewpub" spirit, we serve the cravings for flamiches or fries topped with Maroilles sauce, all washed down with local mousses, in keeping with the name of the place. Bierbuik meaning "beer belly" in Flemish... Last spring, Florent Ladeyn duplicated his concept in the town of Béthune (Pas-de-Calais).

• 19 Rue Royale, 59000 Lille
• Read Gault&Millau's review of Bierbuik

©AgenceCamilleCarlier - Alexandra Battut

27/4 in Paris

Tokyo, as if you were there! In the same way that the Japanese capital can only be experienced through the verticality of its experiences, which are stacked on top of each other on every floor of the buildings, Parisian haunt 27/4 is equally stacked with culinary discoveries. 27 for the street number and 4 septembre for the street name. First, there's the sake bar, where the traditional rice wine is highlighted by a selection of small plates to share. Code name: Omasake - purists will have understood the pun, since "omakase" refers to this type of menu during which a Japanese master chef concocts a myriad of fish- and vegetable-based preparations. Upstairs, chef Tomoyuki Yoshinaga delivers a lesson in Japanese rigor, crafting sushi in the purest tradition behind a counter that carries only ten guests per service to Tokyo.