Le Grand Véfour

Le Grand Véfour, the first grand restaurant in Paris, [Elizabeth Sharland, "A Theatrical Feast in Paris: From Molière to Deneuve" 2008:40ff, "Le Grand Véfour".] France, was opened in the arcades of the Palais-Royal in 1784 by Antoine Aubertot, as the "Café de Chartres", [A compliment to the aristocratic landlord, the duc de Chartres, soon to be known as Philippe-Égalité.] and was purchased in 1820 by Jean Véfour, [Rebecca L. Spang, "The Invention of the Restaurant: Paris and Modern Gastronomic Culture", pp. 6, 64, 182, 187, 206, 220, 224, 226, 238f and 245.] who was able to retire within three years, selling the resataurant to Jean Boissier. [Sharland 2008:41.] A list of regular customers over the last two centuries includes most of the immortal heavyweights of French culture and politics, along with the "tout-Paris". [Little brass plaques mark favorite seats of notables like Colette and Victor Hugo.] Sauce Mornay was one of the preparations introduced at the Grand Véfour. Closed from 1905 to 1947, a revived Grand Véfour opened with the celebrated chef Raymond Oliver in charge in the autumn of 1948. Jean Cocteau designed his menu. [ [http://www.paris-premiere.fr/cms/display.jsp?id=p2_82108&occId=p2_75897&source=p2_82110 "Les étoiles du Grand Véfour"] ] The restaurant, with its early nineteenth-century neoclassical décor of large mirrors in gilded frames and painted supraportes, continues its tradition of gastronomy at the same location, "a history-infused citadel of classic French cuisine." [ [http://www.frommers.com/destinations/paris/D41127.html Frommer's Guide] ]

When it lost one of its three Michelin stars [The third star, awarded Olivier in 1953 and lost with his departure, had been regained in the 2000 "Guide Michelin" ( [http://www.paris-premiere.fr/cms/display.jsp?id=p2_82108&occId=p2_75897&source=p2_82110 "Les étoiles du Grand Véfour"] ).] under the régime of Guy Martin for the Taittinger Group, it was headline news. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/03/europe/EU-GEN-France-Michelin-Guide.php "International Herald-Tribune,", "Grand Vefour restaurant in Paris loses third Michelin star" 3 March 2008] Accessed ]

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