Franck TESSANDIER

Sommelier : 1 restaurant After working at Taillevent and Le Bristol in Paris, Franck Tessandier took over the kitchen at Chez Francis in Brive, a Corrèze institution where politicians, authors, and food lovers have been gathering for decades.

Presentation

Upon entering Chez Francis, a self-proclaimed “literary restaurant,” you’ll discover a true Brive institution—a must-visit spot for food lovers and authors attending the famous Book Fair, who never fail to leave a memento of their visit: a few words scrawled on the walls, a sketch drawn over another, a photo…

From Taillevent to the Bristol: The Parisian Years

Franck Tessandier grew up in this environment, among politicians well-known to the people of Corrèze, actors, and authors, alongside a mother who still manages the dining room today and a father, Francis, trained in the dining room (at Ledoyen during the Guy Legay era, Fouquet’s) but who switched to cooking because his chef had failed to show up one day and he had to take the plunge. They had to build everything from scratch, as a family, to transform this former printing shop into a restaurant that happily embraces all the hallmarks of the Parisian brasserie. “ And then, as soon as I came of age,” recalls Franck Tessandier, “I went to Taillevent to work alongside Philippe Legendre. It was the golden age—the finest ingredients, two hundred covers a day, pure madness.” The young chef then moved to Le Bristol, working for a few months under Michel Del Burgo, who was about to leave, and then for two years onÉric Frechon’s team.“It was very hierarchical; we almost never changed stations, but I loved that period during which I learned so much.”

The return to Brive and the cuisine of the Corrèze region

His father, Francis, facing some health issues, called him back to work by his side in 2001. “I haven’t left home since, even though I’ve regularly taken courses to hone my skills and learn new techniques. I’m able to work with whole animals; I mainly work with local farmers. My cooking is authentic, and I think that’s one of the foundations of our success.”