Hubert VERGOIN
Chef : 1 restaurant
Presentation
" In the 1980s, catering was seen as a sideline," recalls Hubert Vergoin. The grandson of a manufacturer of refrigeration units for restaurateurs - the Vergoin bars -, he nevertheless grew up in the shadow of counters. An internship in a brasserie proved to be a turning point.
He was expelled from the hotel school for health reasons. Far from putting him off, the episode sharpened his resolve. With a CAP (vocational training certificate) in his pocket, he worked in a Lyon brasserie specializing in shellfish, before obtaining a sommelier qualification at Paul Bocuse's in Collonges. He continued at La Rotonde, near Lyon, where he honed his sense of service and product understanding.
Wine as a matrix
Two years as a wine merchant opened up a new perspective. In the early 2000s, Hubert Vergoin took time out to learn about winemaking: harvesting, vatting and ageing. This immersion had a lasting impact on his approach. For him, wine doesn't accompany the plate: it structures it.
Back in Lyon, after a musical interlude, he took to the stage again in 2007 at L'Harmonie des Vins. A year later, he set up L'ABC du Goût, an intuitive sandwich shop and food hall. The crisis of 2008 weakened the business, but the chef persisted, becoming a home chef.
Substrat, a living laboratory
In November 2013, he opened Substrat in Croix-Rousse with Bernard Poizat. By 2014, the restaurant was listed in the Guide Jaune with one toque. In 2023, it was awarded two toques in recognition of " an ebullient and healthy table ".
Substrat lives up to its name: a cuisine of foundations, precise juices and selected products, where instinct meets technique. The dishes evolve with the seasons, always informed by a wine culture that refines the balance.
A new chapter
At the end of June 2024, Substrat closed its doors. Need for movement. A few months later, Hubert Vergoin joined WineYouWant, a hybrid space dedicated to gastronomy and wine in the former Collège Serin.
In this open-plan space, he continues his work on the sincerity of taste and the clarity of pairings. Quickly awarded two toques and a Tradition d'Aujourd'hui trophy, the address confirms the trajectory of a chef for whom constraint has always been a driving force, and freedom a guideline.
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