Pierre Gagnaire Replaces Joël Robuchon at La Grande Maison Bordeaux

La Grande Maison

The buzz in the French food world: It’s been announced that chef Pierre Gagnaire will replace Joël Robuchon at La Grande Maison Bordeaux. Opened in December 2014 by wine magnate Bernard Magrez, La Grande Maison offers a luxurious hotel and gastronomic experience in a stately 19th-century Bordelais mansion. (Read our first-hand review here.) The restaurant, orchestrated by Robuchon’s right-hand man, Chef Tomonori Danzaki, scored two Michelin stars in the 2016 guide. Just two weeks since the official announcement of Joël Robuchon’s departure, Bernard Magrez has revealed that Michelin three-star chef Pierre Gagnaire will take the helm starting June 24.

Already at the head of 13 restaurants around the world, Gagnaire aims to adapt the cuisine to the local economic reality, so there will be a 20-cover gastronomic restaurant alongside a more moderately priced brasserie of 45 seats. Gagnaire has expressed his desire to showcase local producers. Jean-Denis Le Bras, the Michelin two-star chef who managed Pierre Gagnaire’s Hong Kong restaurant, will take over in the kitchen at La Grande Maison.