After proudly carrying the star for seven years, chef Arnaud Billard, at the head of the restaurant Côté Jardin, asked not to appear in the next edition of the Michelin Guide. A carefully considered decision, in agreement with the rest of the team: Sophie, his wife, co-manager of the restaurant and room manager and Cléophée, his daughter, present at his side in the kitchen.
“It’s a personal will. After 37 years of cooking, we have a different vision. We are going to work in a new way, outside the criteria of the star”, estimates Arnaud Billard.
Based in Gien for almost twenty years, Arnaud Billard has never succumbed to the fantasy of the Michelin star. “My dream was to open a neighborhood bistro in Paris,” he reveals. The Giennois finally got the better of him, without regret.
A “desire for change”
“The star hadn’t changed anything in our mindswe did not put any additional pressure on ourselvesbut we assumed”, confides the chef, who admits all the same that this reward attracts a certain clientele.
Today, he and his wife want a change.
“It’s been a while now, admits Sophie. But we never wanted to at the same time. Now we are both ready.“
Starting September 8, customers will discover a new menu, but the identity of Côté Jardin will remain unchanged. The chef will continue to cook fresh and seasonal products and the friendly atmosphere will be more marked.
A craftsman from Chambon-la-Forêt participates in the show La Meilleur Boulangerie de France
Lots of support
“A bit like the bistro spirit”, smiles Arnaud Billard, who wishes working with “less noble products”such as calf’s liver or pork spider crab, which have disappeared from restaurant menus. The tasting menu will disappear in favor of an à la carte selection.
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“It’s a new challenge”, agree to say Arnaud, Sophie and Cléophée. The trio have faced an outpouring of support since announcing their decision.
“It doesn’t change anything for us. We were already coming before the star, we came during, and we will always come after“, writes a user.
premium Where to take a cool break and enjoy an artisanal ice cream in Gien?
For people in possession of gift cards, valid for the tasting menu, the service will be provided. It is necessary to inform the establishment in advance.
Despite the chef’s desire, motivated by a change of concept, not to appear in the next edition, inspectors from the Michelin Guide will visit Côté Jardin and decide whether or not to maintain the star for 2023. decision will be made on the basis of the assessment of the new concept.
Elodie Pradel
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