Aurélien LARGEAU

Presentation

Aurélien Largeau has taken the helm of this emblematic building, built over 150 years ago for Empress Eugénie and completely renovated under the Hyatt Group's management. Proof that the young chef has made a successful entrance, Gault&Millau awarded him 3 toques in his very first season.

The chef worked with respect for local tradition. Marked by his grandmother's family recipes, and influenced by his fisherman grandfather, Aurélien Largeau concocted, with pastry chef Aleksandre Oliver, a menu based on iodine and seaweed. Among them, his signature dish, blue lobster grilled with pine needles, mussel éclade style."This dish has been with me since 2018, when I was chef at La Table d'à Côté, Christophe Hay's second establishment in Ardon. I made it evolve, and I wanted to keep this landmark, because it's both a success and an expression of my history", explains the chef.

A latecomer to the kitchen, Aurélien Largeau dreamed of becoming a rugby star before an injury changed his destiny. It was in the restaurant world that he was finally destined to shine. He made his debut as a commis at the Hôtel du Palais, working under Jean-Marie Gautier, after a classic curriculum at the La Rochelle hotel school. He spent three years on the Île de Ré before meeting chef Christophe Hay. "He offered me my first job as a chef and made me aware of the demands of gourmet cuisine, products and human management."

At the end of December 2023, chef Aurélien Largeau left his position at the Hôtel du Palais.

F. H.