Quentin DURAND

Chef : 1 restaurant A Breton from Pont-l'Abbé, Quentin Durand trained alongside Nicolas Salé, Anne-Sophie Pic and Pierre Gagnaire before opening Maison Vermer in Saint-Malo, awarded 2 Gault&Millau toques.

Presentation

A Breton from Pont-l'Abbé, Quentin Durand boasts the CV of a champion. After a first experience at Le Nouveau Monde in Saint-Malo, with Stéphane Haissant, who was chef at La Tour d'Argent, he went on to work with a number of big names, learning everything he could: Patrick Jeffroy in Carantec, Nicolas Salé at K2 in Courchevel, and Casadelmare in Corsica, before a short stint with Anne-Sophie Pic. « I wanted to experience the atmosphere of a very big house ».

From the Bastide de Gordes to Saint-Tropez

Quentin Durand then joined the Les Airelles group and Pierre Gagnaire's signature restaurant at La Bastide de Gordes. « I arrived as a chef de partie, and became sous-chef after two years ». Staying with the group, he then found his first position as chef at Pan deï Palais, a small, discreet palace in the heart of Saint-Tropez.

The success of Maison Vermer in Saint-Malo

The desire to return to Brittany was too strong. He began to look around the region, leaning more towards the coast, which he found more promising. « My partner Sophie and I visited just one place, called Le Coude à Coude, in Saint-Malo, and it turned out to be the right one. The owner wanted a chef, so we seized the opportunity, and we don't regret it ».

Indeed, Maison Vermer was an instant success, and 2 Gault&Millau toques crowned the work of the first six months. « At lunchtime, we offer a menu at €39, which is very popular. In the evening, we also have a menu and an à la carte option, and the cooking is a little more elaborate, but we're not setting any targets for the moment – we want to do things right, little by little ».