Restaurant in Paris, France
One star, no weekends, book early.
Pantagruel holds a Michelin star and a 4.8 Google rating across 1,045 reviews — one of the more reliable combinations at the €€€€ tier in Paris. The kitchen, led by Ferrandi-trained Jason Gouzy, focuses on smoked ingredients, surf-and-turf constructions, and textural precision in an intimate, romantically styled room near the Palais-Royal. Book three to four weeks ahead minimum; no weekend service.
Pantagruel earns its Michelin star and its place on any serious Paris restaurant list. If you want modern French cooking with genuine personality — smoke, texture, surf-and-turf combinations, and enough restraint to avoid feeling like a performance — book here. At €€€€ pricing, it sits in the same tier as many flashier addresses, but the experience feels more intimate and less choreographed than most. The narrow service windows (lunch runs 12:15–1:30 PM, dinner 7:30–9 PM, Monday through Friday only) mean this is a venue that rewards planning, not impulse.
Pantagruel sits at 10 Rue de Richelieu in the 1st arrondissement, close to the Palais-Royal and the Sentier district , one of Paris's more interesting corners for serious eating right now. The room was conceived with a fashion designer, which shows: the aesthetic is described as bourgeois and romantic, understated rather than showy, with a theatrically glazed kitchen that keeps the cooking visible without turning it into a spectacle. For food-focused diners who find too many high-end Paris restaurants more interested in their own architecture than what arrives on the plate, the balance here is well-judged.
The kitchen is led by Jason Gouzy, who trained at Ferrandi before stages at l'Assiette Champenoise, the Bristol, and the Baudelaire at the Burgundy Hotel. That pedigree covers classical French technique, high-volume luxury hotel kitchens, and precise modern cooking , a combination that shows up in how the menu is constructed. The cooking draws on smoked ingredients, textural play, and surf-and-turf pairings. Verified examples from the venue record include smoked beetroot with sardines and a medley of blue lobster. These are not fussy combinations assembled for novelty; the approach reflects the generous, grounded character suggested by the restaurant's namesake, Rabelais' Pantagruel.
With a Google rating of 4.8 across 1,045 reviews , a notably high score at meaningful volume for a €€€€ address , the consistency of positive feedback suggests this is not a venue that trades on its star alone. That kind of sustained rating at this price point is unusual and worth treating as a genuine signal.
Because Pantagruel's kitchen leans on smoked ingredients, spices, and surf-and-turf constructions, the menu's character shifts meaningfully across the year in ways that matter for planning your visit. French market-driven kitchens at this level typically restructure around seasonal produce: spring brings lighter, more herbaceous plates as early vegetables arrive; summer tends to highlight coastal ingredients and cooler preparations; autumn pushes toward earthier combinations , mushrooms, game, root vegetables , where smoked and spiced preparations feel most at home; winter favours richness and depth, which suits the kitchen's stated style particularly well.
If the cooking's core signatures appeal , smoke, lobster, surf-and-turf , autumn and winter visits are likely to show the kitchen at its most resonant. Spring and early summer visits will still deliver the same technical precision, but the menu's character will be lighter and more ingredient-forward. For diners visiting Paris specifically around this style of cooking, October through February is the window where Pantagruel's strengths are most naturally expressed. That said, the venue's 4.8 rating holds across the full year, so no season represents a meaningful drop in quality , the shift is one of emphasis, not execution.
Paris dining at this level has a number of seasonal peers worth considering alongside Pantagruel. [Flocons de Sel in Megève](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/flocons-de-sel-megve-restaurant), [Troisgros - Le Bois sans Feuilles in Ouches](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/troisgros-le-bois-sans-feuilles-ouches-restaurant), and [Mirazur in Menton](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/mirazur-menton-restaurant) all operate with strong seasonal frameworks, and understanding what each kitchen emphasises by season is the same kind of planning logic that applies here. Within Paris itself, [Accents Table Bourse](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/accents-table-bourse-paris-restaurant) and [Anona](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/anona-paris-restaurant) are both worth shortlisting for market-driven modern French at comparable or lower price points.
Reservations: Hard to book. The combination of a Michelin star, limited covers, and narrow service windows (no weekends, lunch slots of only 75 minutes) means you should plan at minimum three to four weeks ahead, and further in advance for Friday evenings or any weekend-adjacent date. Hours: Monday to Friday, lunch 12:15–1:30 PM and dinner 7:30–9 PM; closed Saturday and Sunday. Budget: €€€€ , expect this to be a significant spend per head including wine; plan accordingly and don't underestimate the bill. Dress: No dress code is specified in available data, but the room's aesthetic and price tier make smart casual or above the sensible default. Address: 10 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris.
For broader Paris planning, see [our full Paris restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/paris), [our full Paris hotels guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/paris), [our full Paris bars guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/bars/paris), [our full Paris wineries guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/wineries/paris), and [our full Paris experiences guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/experiences/paris).
See the comparison section below for how Pantagruel stacks up against [Plénitude](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/plenitude), [Pierre Gagnaire](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/pierre-gagnaire), and other €€€€ Paris addresses.
If Pantagruel is fully booked or you're building a broader France itinerary, the following are worth your attention at comparable or higher levels: [Paul Bocuse - L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/paul-bocuse-lauberge-du-pont-de-collonges-collonges-au-mont-dor-restaurant), [Bras in Laguiole](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/bras-laguiole-restaurant), [Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/auberge-de-lill-illhaeusern-restaurant), and [Maison Lameloise in Chagny](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/maison-lameloise-chagny-restaurant). For modern cuisine beyond France, [Frantzén in Stockholm](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/frantzn-stockholm-restaurant) operates in a similar register of precision and personality. Within Paris's current generation of serious modern restaurants, [114, Faubourg](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/114-faubourg-paris-restaurant), [Amâlia](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/amlia-paris-restaurant), and [Auberge de Montfleury](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/auberge-de-montfleury-paris-restaurant) are all worth evaluating depending on your timing and group size.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pantagruel | €€€€ | Hard | — |
| Plénitude | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Kei | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Pantagruel and alternatives.
At €€€€ with a 2024 Michelin star behind it, Pantagruel delivers on the investment if creative modern French cooking is what you're after. Chef Jason Gouzy's approach — smoked ingredients, surf-and-turf constructions, spice-forward combinations — offers more personality than most starred rooms at this price point. If you want something more classical, Pierre Gagnaire or Alléno Paris will suit you better, but expect to pay more for the room and the name.
Lunch is the practical choice for first-timers: service runs 12:15–1:30 PM, which usually means a slightly shorter format and a lower overall spend. Dinner runs 7:30–9 PM and gives the kitchen's theatrically glazed open setup more visual impact. Both windows are tight — 75 minutes at lunch especially — so be on time. Neither sitting is clearly superior, but dinner tends to feel more complete as an experience.
The venue's limited covers and narrow service windows make large group bookings difficult. This is not the venue for a party of eight or a corporate dinner. Small groups of two to four are the practical ceiling for a comfortable experience; anything larger should check the venue's official channels and expect limited flexibility given the format.
No specific policy is documented for Pantagruel, but kitchens operating at Michelin-star level in Paris typically accommodate dietary requirements when notified at the time of booking. Given the kitchen's focus on smoked ingredients, surf-and-turf, and spice-led dishes, strict vegetarian or vegan diners may find the menu less accommodating than at restaurants built around plant-forward cooking. Flag restrictions clearly when reserving.
The theatrically glazed open kitchen makes solo dining here more engaging than at a conventional dining room — there's something to watch. The venue's intimate, bourgeois-romantic setting leans toward couples and small groups, but a solo diner who books the counter position (if available) will be well-placed. Confirm counter availability when booking, as Pantagruel's limited covers mean seating arrangements are set.
Given the Michelin star and the kitchen's emphasis on textural contrasts and ingredient-led combinations — smoked beetroot, sardines, blue lobster — the tasting format is the right way to experience what Gouzy is doing. If you're coming for a quick business lunch, the format may feel constrictive given the 75-minute lunch window. For a dedicated meal where the food is the point, yes, it's worth it.
Book at least three to four weeks out, more if you have a specific date in mind. Pantagruel holds a 2024 Michelin star, runs no weekend service, and operates very narrow service windows with limited covers — that combination makes availability tight. Waiting for a last-minute slot is a losing strategy here; treat this like booking a twelve-seat omakase counter, not a brasserie.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
