Tabata and Ludovic Mey: 1 new restaurant, 2 experiences
Ludovic and Tabata Mey will open their new restaurant in Lyon in October. The restaurant will feature two distinctly different dining rooms.
Rumored for several weeks, it's now official. On April 25, 2024, Tabata and Ludovic Mey acquired the famous Théodore brasserie in Lyon's 6th arrondissement. The duo will offer two experiences: a gastronomic section, which will open in October, and a bistro, which will welcome its first customers in November. Here's everything you need to know about this future address.
The return of an emblematic Lyon duo
Since the closure of their restaurant Les Apothicaires in April 2023, Ludovic and Tabata Mey had been looking for a new setting to continue their culinary adventure. "It was very good for a first restaurant, but the kitchen was really cramped (12 m²) and that blocked us a lot. We wanted more space," explains the chef.
After months of searching, they finally settled on Le Théodore, a Lyon institution established over twenty years ago. "We wanted a place big enough for two restaurants," explains Tabata Mey. Here, the duo will offer two independent establishments, with a 22-seat gourmet restaurant and a French-style brasserie seating around 50. "It was very important for us to have these two tables in the same place to be present."
2 independent experiences, 1 same guideline
For the brasserie part, Tabata and Ludovic Mey are banking on tradition. Beef bourguignon, blanquette de veau, tartare au couteau and millefeuille dressé minute with crème diplomate are all on the menu. "It's a cuisine we love. When we have people over to our house, we follow Escoffier's recipes to the comma!" laughs the chef. "Unfortunately, brasseries of this type don't exist much anymore, and we really want to highlight the French art of living, with table service. We need to recruit a whole team, and have already identified a number of maîtres d'hôtel who can come and help us train the staff", Tabata Mey enthuses.
For the gourmet restaurant, things will be a little different. "It will be set up in a boutique adjacent to the brasserie, which had already been bought by the previous owner. The best thing about all this is that the Apothicaires team is coming back to work with us. That will make things a lot easier," she enthuses. See you in October to discover this new restaurant!
