The Grand Véfour restaurant at the Palais-Royal is making a comeback with chef Bruno Doucet.

Le Grand Véfour, a historic dining room tucked under the arcades of the Palais-Royal in the 1er arrondissement de Paris, is entering a new chapter from spring 2026. Now under the umbrella of Paris Society, the venue has entrusted its kitchens to chef Bruno Doucet and refreshed its storied interiors. As a bonus, the restaurant now boasts a 150-seat terrace facing the garden. We’ve explored the new menu and the venue’s history to tell you what the Grand Véfour of 2026 actually feels like.

One has to admit the name carries weight. Some Parisian institutions feel like those old books whose titles you know without ever opening them. Le Grand Véfour is one of them: everyone’s heard of it, few have actually stepped inside.

Le Grand Véfour, what makes this restaurant so famous?

Everything begins in 1784 with the Café de Chartres, housed in the galleries of the Palais-Royal, at a moment when the garden becomes the place where the world is remade. The venue took the name Jean Véfour in 1820. Since then, the roster of regulars has been enough to make your head spin: Napoleon and Josephine, Victor Hugo, Balzac, Lamartine, George Sand, Jean Cocteau, Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Maria Callas, and François Mitterrand.

The most faithful of all perhaps is Colette, who lived just upstairs. For her 80th birthday in 1953, her friend Raymond Oliver prepared a hare à la royale for her, which she pretended to criticize. Closer to our own time, Woody Allen shot a few scenes of Midnight in Paris there. To learn everything about these two centuries of dining, we recommend reading the little history of the Grand Véfour.

After three decades at the helm, Guy Martin has handed over the reins. The restaurant now joins Paris Society, Accor's subsidiary alreadyBehind the revival of Maxim's in late 2023. Its founder, Laurent de Gourcuff, sums up the ambition in one sentence: to put Le Grand Véfour back at the beating heart of Paris and to make it a lively, coveted address once again.

Who is Bruno Doucet, the Grand Véfour's new head chef?

For the first time, Paris Society is launching a project hand in hand with a named chef. The choice falls on Bruno Doucet, a Tourangeau by birth and a Parisian by adoption. He trained with Charles Barrier in Tours, then under Pierre Gagnaire and Jean-Pierre Vigato, before becoming a key figure in Parisian bistronomy.

His establishments speak for him: La Régalade Saint-Honoré, taken over by Yves Camdeborde, and Le Comptoir du Relais on the Odéon side. A small anecdote: it was Camdeborde, approached before him, who supposedly whispered Doucet’s name to the investors. Bruno Doucet, for his part, isn’t chasing stars. His aim, he told Food & Sens, is simply to fill the room. A straightforward, almost refreshing ambition for a house long rated with a star.

• To be read
• This week's top picks in Paris and Île-de-France for September 28 to October 4, 2026.

What did we eat at Grand Véfour?

Bruno Doucet's French cuisine aims to be generous and approachable, with that bourgeois spirit that suits it so well. The showmanship returns to the dining room, as in the great houses of old, with fish filleted and meats carved at the guéridon.

As starters, we’ve leaned into the sea. The wild sea bream arrives marinated with lemon and olive oil, paired with cucumber and coconut milk for a fresh, light plate. On the opposite side, the spider crab meat is brightened with lemon and Espelette pepper, accompanied by tomatoes and piquillos. Two summer starters that whet the appetite without weighing it down.

For the next course, the roasted sea bass fillet arrives with a crushed tomato concassé and a Dugléré sauce, a bourgeois kitchen classic that you rarely come across nowadays. The yellow Landes chicken supreme plays the comfort card, with a parsley-and-watercress purée, a sauté of mushrooms in meat jus, and extra-crispy waffle-cut potatoes. The kind of dish that evokes Sunday lunch, served for a large table. We love the elegant silver service that really showcases the plates.

For dessert, our pick is the grand profiterole at Grand Véfour. A handsome choux pastry with craquelin, stuffed with vanilla ice cream and Chantilly, crowned with caramelized hazelnuts and a chocolate sauce poured at the table. If you’d prefer something lighter, the meringue crushed with strawberries and raspberries, with its coulis, raspberry sorbet and whipped cream, finishes the meal on a fruity note.

The menu shifts with the seasons, and some of the dishes we've tasted have already given way to new creations. Today you’ll find, for example, duck foie gras with smoked eel, ray wing in beurre blanc with caviar, roasted veal sweetbreads in demi-sel butter, and a blue lobster risotto. Be sure to check the current menu before you book.

What does the Grand Véfour's refreshed interior look like?

Relax, nothing has been overhauled. The décor, designated as a Historic Monument, preserves its carved woodwork, Louis XVI-era garlands, antique mirrors, and the famous glass-encased pieces inspired by Pompeian frescoes. The banquettes, now a deep blue, give this jewelry-box of a restaurant a welcome fresh touch.

Upstairs, a new lounge bears the signature of Cordelia de Castellane, artistic director of Dior Maison, who had already left her personal touch at Maxim's. The venue also features a private dining room for intimate gatherings.

And what about the terrace at Grand Véfour?

The restaurant steps out of its shell with a 150-seat terrace set beneath the arches and facing the Jardin du Palais-Royal. Lunch sheltered under the arcade or dinner under the Parisian sky gives the place a freer, almost chic-brasserie vibe. With autumn approaching, it’s wise to check that the terrace will be open on the day of your visit.

The cellar keeps pace with the trend, boasting prestigious Burgundies, benchmark Bordeaux wines, champagnes, and a few more unexpected labels. The bar also nods to the fact that Le Grand Véfour was one of Paris's first American-style bars, serving classic cocktails alongside house creations.

How much does a meal at Grand Véfour cost, and how do you book a table?

Le Grand Véfour sits on Rue de Beaujolais, just north of the Jardin du Palais-Royal, a stone’s throw from the Comédie-Française, the Colonne de Buren, and Galerie Vivienne. The restaurant opens daily for lunch from 12:00 to 15:00 and for dinner from 19:00 to 23:30. Reservations are accepted by phone at 01 42 96 56 27 or on the Grand Véfour’s official site.

On the budget side, you’re looking at a classic Parisian long table. In our visit, the sea bream was listed at €46, the spider crab at €40, the sea bass and poultry at €48 each, the profiterole at €20, and the meringue at €22. On the current menu, expect entrées from €26 to €46, mains from €48 to €92, and desserts from €16 to €22. Plan on roughly €120 to €220 for the meal, excluding the great wines, of course.

Why go to Le Grand Véfour? Bruno Doucet's take.

This new Grand Véfour isn’t chasing high-flying Michelin tricks, and that’s a good thing. Here you’ll find a sincere French cuisine, traditional sauces, and generous desserts, served in one of Paris’s most distinctive settings. The big profiterole alone is worth the detour.

The dining venue targets those who want to linger in a slice of Parisian history: a birthday, a marriage proposal, a meal to wow visiting friends, or simply a quiet moment for two. People come as much for the old‑world setting and service as for the menu. And the terrace that overlooks the gardens is a notable plus.

A quick heads-up: the bill can climb quickly once you dive into the wine list, and the indoor dining room stays intimate, so reservations are highly recommended in the evenings. For a first impression, a terrace lunch on sunny days is a wonderful way to discover the place.

Want to extend the experience to other historic addresses? Head to Maxim's, Rue Royale, another institution revived by Paris Society, or Baronne, in the Salomon de Rothschild Hotel in the 8th arrondissement. And to go even further, our pick of the oldest restaurants in Paris still promises delightful discoveries.

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, please drink responsibly.

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.