Jean-François Rouquette's Pur' restaurant gets a makeover

Jean-François Rouquette is one of those chefs who traces his path without fuss. For almost 20 years, he has been the chef at Le Pur' (17.5/20, 4 Toques), the gourmet restaurant at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme in Paris, which has been completely renovated and now offers a setting at last in keeping with the man and his cuisine.

This table has always been a little jewel nestled in the heart of the palace. A discreet entrance, a circular dining room overlooking an open kitchen and a clientele of regulars. Today, completely redesigned by architect Hugo Toro, the restaurant asserts a strong identity. It's like entering an apartment. Here a comfortable banquette, there armchairs, tables without tablecloths, a fireplace, works of art, books and travel souvenirs. Wherever you look, you'll see beautiful materials (wood, leather, marble, precious fabrics...), ultra-careful lighting and a host of details that will reveal themselves as you dine.

"A restaurant that doesn't look like a restaurant".

"Right from our first meeting, Hugo Toro said to us: 'I see an apartment, a restaurant that doesn't look like a restaurant'", recalls Jean-François Rouquette "That really appealed to us. The second thing I liked was that he said to me: 'Whatever you want, I can design it. I knew he was going to make us something really personalized". As much architect as designer and artist, Hugo Toro has indeed designed everything. From the space to the knife racks, from each piece of furniture to the carpets and textiles, and even the uniforms. At Pur', he mixes references, offering a succession of varied shots, interior landscapes evoking the Orient-Express as much as the 70s smoking room, the chic mountain chalet and the Parisian apartment.

"It's not at all the same to design a lifestyle restaurant and a chef's restaurant", explains Hugo Toro, "The place had to fit his personality. I see the chef as a bit like a wolf with roots in the earth. A man who is very tall and imposing, but who also has a real gentleness". The result is a cuisine that, while evolving, remains faithful to its basics. Saffron, saté, curry (including dessert) are all part of a French regional cuisine that follows the rhythm of the seasons.

"No, my cuisine doesn't change because of the place," says Jean-François Rouquette , "because in the end, we didn't have the right place for it. However, it's obvious that once you're there, you become immersed in it. For example, I wouldn't have offered the lamb dish as it is now in the old restaurant. Because we're here in a more convivial setting, I'm proposing it with a pascaline pie, a bit like a Sunday family meal. We're going to bring in a few dishes like that, with a bit of a rustic twist. I can't deny what I've learned, but there are some interesting things that we need to take inspiration from to shake up classic cuisine. Less meat, more vegetables, travel too".

• Pur' - Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme
• Where? 5 Rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris
• Tel: 01 58 71 10 60