After a glorious past followed by a momentary lapse, the Chapon Fin is dazzling today. The new team is ready to conquer the little red book without forgetting for who they are working for: you ! The wine list is amazing, and the service is great. Here is a little sneak peak of what you can expect while enjoying this restaurant in Bordeaux.
In the heart of Bordeaux gold triangle, at the 7, rue Montesquieu, is located the Chapon Fin. Created in 1825, the restaurant was a famous place to go to and became a not-to-be-missed rendezvous after a stunning renovation. Indeed, in 1900 the architect Cyprien Alfred Duprat designed a Rococo decor with an amazing rocaille which is now crowned with a glass canopy. At this time, the owner and Chef, Joseph Sicart, saw many celebrities in his restaurant: royalties such as Alfonso XIII of Spain, the Sultan of Marocco, the Prince of Wales (Edouard VII) or the Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar without forgetting artists like Toulouse Lautrec and Sarah Bernhardt. The Chapon Fin was one of the finest restaurants in France, the place to be, and in the first edition of the famous Michelin guide, it was awarded with three stars !
Between 1960 and 1987, the restaurant welcomed only private parties and receptions which faded a little the fame. In 2011, Sylvie Cazes* took over the restaurant and has let her son, François Régimbeau, lead the Chapon Fin for two years now. He just hired Chef Younesse Bouakkaoui who creates a delicious French haute cuisine and Chef Pâtissier Thomas Guillot, who is a sweetness artist ! Germain Thullier, the Maître d’Hôtel, will warmly welcome you and will make sure your experience is unforgettable.
The Chapon Fin has been famous for its décor and its cuisine but also for the incredible quality of its wines and spirits list. The Sommelier, Arthur Challet Hayard, worked in extraordinary houses like the Ritz Hotel, the George V or the Dockhan’s bar, which is oldest Champagne bar of Paris, before to settle down at the Chapon Fin. Sensitive, he takes care
of his predecessor’s liquid heritage while choosing new ones for vibrant and emotional pairings. For him, wines are alive, and they sublimate the delicious haute cuisine while creating a unique moment. If you try the current diner menu with his pairings, we are sure you will feel this magic: 6 acts around Sarah Bernhardt’s life where some ingredients are the stars of the show. But maybe next year, for the 200 years anniversary, the restaurant will be crowned with another type of star !
*Sylvie Cazes is the younger sister of Jean-Michel Cazes. She was president of the Union des grands crus de Bordeaux and is co-owner of Château Lynch Bages, Grand Cru Classé of 1855 in Pauillac as well as the President of Cité du Vin. She owns Bordeaux saveurs agency and Château Chauvin in Saint Emilion with her three children.