Drouant, from a bistro to a restaurant
The Drouant restaurant is a jewel of Parisian gastronomy. Its origins date back to 1880, when Charles Drouant, originally from Alsace in Eastern France, arrived in Paris and opened a traditional bar and tobacconist near La Bourse (Paris historic stock exchange).
Located in a rapidly developing district, where wealth flourished thanks to the Opera House and the financial institutions of Boulevard Haussmann, Drouant’s bistro quickly attracted a discerning clientele.
A born entrepreneur, Charles partnered with his brother-in-law, a Breton oyster farmer, who supplied the restaurant with fresh seafood and fish. The bistro’s success was meteoric, and it became one of Paris’s culinary gems, renowned for its delicious oysters. Drouant alos attracted prominent figures from the worlds of art, literature, and politics, such as Renoir, Rodin, Pissarro, Monet, Octave Mirbeau, the Rosny brothers, Paul Neveu, and the Clemenceau brothers, who dined there regularly.
Building on this reputation, Charles transformed the bistro into a full-fledged restaurant. As World War I approached, he sent his son, Jean, to the most prestigious culinary institutions in England, Germany, and even America, to prepare him to take over Drouant.
Prix Goncourt and Renaudot
Drouant, a 3* Michelin restaurant
Under the visionary leadership of Jean, the restaurant underwent a major transformation through its merger with the Barayat Group, owned by his sister’s husband. This union expanded its reach and influence, associating it with prestigious establishments such as Fouquet’s, Pré Catalan, the Casino d’Ermenonville, the Café de Paris, and the Pavillon Royal, and granting it the catering license for the Auteuil Hippodrome.
From 1946 to 1976, Jean’s nephew, also named Jean, took over the reins of the restaurant. Robert Pascal, who had started at Drouant’s as a commis-chef, succeeded him and contributed to the restaurant’s continued success for over forty years.
In 1986, the Cible group acquired Drouant and undertook a series of renovations before selling it in 1987 to the Elitair group, which was itself acquired by the Elior group in 1988. Under their management, the restaurant earned its first and second Michelin stars, thanks to the culinary talent of chef Louis Grondard, who remained at the helm of the kitchens after Elior‘s withdrawal.
In January 2006, Antoine Westermann, the three-Michelin-starred chef of Buerehiesel in Strasbourg and related to the Drouant family by marriage, took over the iconic establishment, opening a new chapter in the history of restaurant.
Directions: 2nd District – 16-18 Place Gaillon
Metro: Quatre-Septembre on Line 3
Coordinates: Lat 48.868864 – Long 2.334450
