Jason GOUZY

“We’ve shifted gears and expanded our scope, which has allowed us to think bigger in every sense of the word. Pantagruel is now a high-end establishment, catering to a clientele that’s no longer that of a bistro, but of a chic restaurant .”

Jason has always harbored this dream of a comfortable and ambitious establishment. “I remember—I must have been sixteen. I had the opportunity—and the good fortune—to spend some time at L’Assiette Champenoise in Tinqueux, seeing what was going on under Chef Arnaud Lallement. I was impressed—not just by what was on the plates, but by everything that was happening: the mastery, the excellence, the coordination of the kitchen staff around a maestro who seemed to control everything with ease. I was fascinated; at that moment, I just thought, “This is what I want to do!””

From L’Assiette Champenoise to Le Galopin

Afterward, the young man proved patient and worked his way up the ranks. He spent time at the Bristol with Éric Frechon, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, then at the Burgundy, and finally embarked on an adventure more in line with his immediate aspirations at Romain Tischenko’s Galopin. “That helped me get my thoughts a little more in order. I didn’t know much about running a business, I didn’t know any bankers—all I had in mind were those chef-owned bistros that appealed to me: Saturne, Septime, Le Châteaubriand—the ventures of guys with ideas similar to mine who believed in what they were doing.”

Pantagruel, in its first incarnation, opened in 2019, earning its first Michelin star. The space was small, but the talent was there: the second star arrived in 2022, and Jason could start dreaming bigger. The move from Rue du Sentier to Rue de Richelieu allowed him to scale up. “Today we seat thirty-five guests, we serve 320 plates per seating, we bake our own bread, and we have a private dining room—it’s a whole different ballgame. The clientele has also changed—it’s now 50% local and 50% international, which is good for foot traffic.”

His vision of a “good restaurant ” has also evolved: “Of course, the food remains very important—even paramount. But the customer experience is a whole, and everything must be carefully managed. We want the experience to be, above all, warm and welcoming—we want the customer to feel comfortable in every way. We can serve a high-quality business lunch or fine dining where everyone will leave satisfied. In any case, the meal must be something memorable.”

Jason Gouzy’s ambitions for Pantagruel

The future? Of course, the new “Grand de Demain” is thinking about it, without setting any limits. “First of all, I’d like my restaurant to be full at lunch and dinner. I want us to be able to work calmly, hire staff, go a little further each day in delighting our guests, and have the means to always aim higher. Awards are great—they mark milestones—but they aren’t an end in themselves, even if we appreciate them. They’re there to light the way, to show that we’re on the right track .”