Restaurants

Le Grand Véfour, a new scene at the Palais-Royal

Name: Le Grand Véfour
Address: 17 Rue de Beaujolais, Paris, France, Paris, 75001, FR
Telephone: 01 42 96 56 27

18 Aug 2026

Long associated with Guy Martin, who made it one of the capital’s great Michelin-starred restaurants, the Palais-Royal institution is now entering a new chapter with Paris Society. For Laurent de Gourcuff’s group, known for bringing a festive, polished and distinctly Parisian touch to the city’s dining scene, the challenge was a delicate one. Le Grand Véfour is not just another restaurant. It is a house of memory, a place where Colette, Cocteau, Balzac and Victor Hugo once had their habits, and where every detail carries a piece of Parisian history.

The idea was not to reinvent it completely, but to bring it back to life without disturbing its soul. That balance is felt from the moment one steps inside. The listed décor has kept its almost theatrical charm: Louis XVI garlands, painted panels, ornate ceilings, mirrors and gilding still form the jewel-box setting that has made the address famous.

Le Grand Véfour

17 Rue de Beaujolais, Paris, France Tel : 01 42 96 56 27 legrandvefour.com/

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Upstairs, Cordelia de Castellane has added a discreet contemporary touch, while the main dining room retains its original chic and character. For the first time, Le Grand Véfour fully opens onto the Palais-Royal gardens. Lunch in the shade of the columns, dinner facing the trees, a quiet pause in the heart of Paris – this new outdoor dimension is one of the strongest assets of the revival.

In the kitchen, Bruno Doucet takes over with a more classic than spectacular approach, generous rather than showy. The former chef of La Régalade Saint-Honoré, one of the names that helped define Parisian bistronomy, is not trying to recreate the grand starred cuisine of the past. Instead, he focuses on clear, generous, well-executed French cooking, with just enough historic references to suit the setting: skate wing with beurre blanc, sole Bonne-Femme, roasted sweetbreads, Landes chicken, turbot with sauce Choron, the Véfour profiterole or peach Melba.

One should not come expecting a groundbreaking gastronomic experience, or the virtuosity of a major contemporary fine-dining table. The new Grand Véfour is playing a different card: that of a beautiful Parisian stage, where the décor, the garden, the service and the pleasure of the moment matter as much as the plate. In its Paris Society version, Le Grand Véfour remains one of the loveliest places to lunch, dine and experience Paris – especially for an American clientele already in love with this timeless address.

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