The economic crisis due to Covid-19 continues to claim victims in high gastronomy. After the announcement of the closure until further notice of La Grande Maison, in Bordeaux, the two-star entrusted to Pierre Gagnaire, a new establishment awarded by the Michelin guide has just announced that it will not reopen. The Antoine restaurant, located on avenue de New York (Paris 16th), at the southern tip of the Golden Triangle, with a view of the Eiffel Tower, is closing its doors for good and has been put on sale.
He nevertheless had a star in the Red Guide, and a talented chef, Thibault Sombardier, who sublimated seafood there. Unhappy finalist of the fifth season of "Top chef", the thirty-something of Lyon origin, who was trained at Marc Meneau, Bernard Constantin, Alain Dutournier and Yannick Alléno, is also the head of two bistros in the capital, Mensae (19th) and Sellae (13th), which have reopened their doors. "I now want to devote myself to other projects, always around a beautiful gastronomy and in Paris but in a district which will suit me more" commented the chef to our colleagues from Atabula.
Michelin stars
The confinement and the pandemic had already pushed in recent weeks several French starred chefs to return their stars to devote themselves to more accessible kitchens and find time for them. Thus Alexandre Bourdas, two stars at SaQuaNa (Honfleur), who will now focus on a “more relaxed” , “to share” , “direct and instinctive” offer , with the essentials of gastro revisited and ... sushi! But also his colleague Gilles Tournardre, double star in Rouen (Gill), who wants to slow down and devote himself to more "user-friendly" projects .
On the Haute-Savoie side, Yoann Conte (2 stars in Veyrier) has put his gourmet restaurant on hiatus until September 15 ... but to better start looking for the third!