Jean-François PANTALEON

Chef : 1 restaurant Jean-François Pantaleon, chef of the Roza and Thelma restaurants in Nantes, has forged his culinary skills between the great Parisian restaurants and personal experience, combining honesty, technical precision and a sense of the terroir.

Presentation

After classical studies, this son of a pharmacist happily turned to the restaurant business, gaining valuable experience with Yannick Alléno, Jean-Pierre Vigato and Eric Guérin. Like many of his fellow chefs, whose parents were highly educated, Jean-François Pantaleon did not follow the classic path of a chef.

"I did take a BTS at the Lycée Nicolas Appert in Orvault, but only after I'd passed my general baccalaureate and gone to university to study biology. It didn't really interest me and I needed to earn my independence. I'd worked a lot as a waiter during the school vacations, and I'd often been in the kitchen - my parents were excellent cooks themselves, so it was a world that had alwaysattracted me".

Training in the big houses and first apprenticeships

Jean-François trained in some of the region's most prestigious establishments, with the Vételéfamily (Anne de Bretagne in La Plaine-sur-Mer), Castel Marie-Louise in La Baule (where his father was a pharmacist) and Eric Guérin (La Mare aux Oiseaux). "He's one of the very few chefs with whom I've forged a true friendship. And we both love hunting, especially because of our love of nature and long walks with our dogs".

He then joined La Grande Cascade in Paris as demi-chef de partie, and left as sous-chef to Frédéric Robert. "A very fine establishment, where I learned a lot, and which I left to join Yannick Alléno at Le Meurice. It was an extremely tough six months, but in retrospect, Ilearned a lotfrom it.

Decisive experiences in Paris

At Jean-Pierre Vigato (Apicius), he spent two years in a more relaxed atmosphere, but with limited prospects. He then joined Beatriz Gonzalez in launching Coretta, where he held his first position as chef. Despite its discreet location, the restaurant was an immediate success.

Moving to Nantes and opening Roza

"In 2017, after the birth of our second daughter, my wife and I decided to leave Paris and settle in Nantes. For the record, it was Eric Guérin who found us the premises. " Today, I'm having a great time at the restaurant, the clientele is following us, the teams are stable, I'm doing what I love, without trying to attract the limelight, even if I obviously welcome the awards with pleasure".

At Roza, his cuisine, full of directness and technical precision, quickly won over the people of Nantes. Building on this success, Jean-François opened Thelma at the end of 2024, a second address dedicated to modern, relevant bistro cuisine.

Combining team loyalty, family balance and technical mastery, Jean-François Pantaleon embodies sincere, contemporary gastronomy in Nantes. His career path, from the great Parisian houses to the local Nantes scene, illustrates the success of a chef who combines passion, precision and humanity in every plate.