I was watching a documentary on Le Grand Véfour in Paris, one of the very first establishment called a restaurant. I thought it would be good to give a bit of history on one of my favorite subjects:Restaurants!

Did you know that, though in many places you could find a table to eat, in an Auberge or Maison d’hôtes, the concept of restaurant only appeared in Paris the late 1700.

Paris was already familiar with cafés, since the opening of the famous and still open today Le Procope. Opened in 1686 by Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli, bringing to the French something that was already drank in Egypt and Turkish, Le Café. Le Procope was also the first establishment to serve Ice cream but not the first coffee shop open in Europe as we were already serving coffee in Oxford in 1650! This is no Starbucks if you know what I mean?

Cafés became the center of every business deal, a place where artists would congregate and a place where the minds used to think alike.

The Haute Gatronomie at this time was only reserved for the King’s table and other very elite members of the society. In 1715, Philippe d’Orleans, during his Regency, was the first to start the Soupé intimes where no more than eight guests were asked at his table.

In those time, Paris was not the gastronomical interest that it is now. If you would find an Auberge that would have served you a plate at a corner of a table, you would be an idiot to wonder what was in there. No Plat du jour, it was more of whatever they could find and put in a pot, most often rats and other animals than can pass for rabbit.

In 1765, Boulanger dit Champ D’oiseau creates what we call Un bouillon. An establishment where people could come and consume a bouillon (stock) to treat any kind of illness or physical condition. From there came the name Restaurant, from the verbes Restaurer: remettre en état - to bring something/someone back in good shape.

This was also the first time that a customer will be serve on an individual table and not the communal table you would see in the Auberges.

The first one was open 123 Rue St Honoré in Paris and was followed by a movement. Thirty more Bouillon opened their doors in Paris in the following years. Some historians call it the first fast food as it grew in Paris like mushroom after a summer rain.

You still have some Bouillon in Paris but you can count them on one hand. One of the most famous one is Le Bouillon Racine, 3 Rue Racine Paris 6eme.

I have to recognize that Restaurants then were not open to women but for men to do their business, artist to write their next play and politician to vote on the next law. It’s later with apparition of the Cabinet Particulier, small room with only one table and very often a secret entry, that women got invited to the restaurant. La Pérouse in Paris founded in 1766, still have some of the those private dining rooms, where mistresses use to enjoy their lover’s company, senators and politicians would come to talk about more delicate affairs. I was told that some of the original mirrors left in the cabinet particulier of La Pérouse, wear the traces of a time. The little scratches on the mirrors, now made by silly tourists, was then done by the courtisanes to check that the jewelry they were receiving from their lovers was of good quality. I love that’s story!

In 1782, Antoine Beauvillier, Chef for the Prince of Condé, copies Boulanger’s concept and opens La Grande Taverne de Londres the first Grande table and luxury restaurant in Paris.

Le Grand Véfour opened in 1784, you can still find it at the same place in the Gallerie du Beaujolais of the Arcade du Palais Royal. First called the Café de Chartres, Le Grand Véfour is one of those magic places in Paris. Le tout Paris has had dinner at its tables and became even more an institution when Raymond Oliver came into the kitchen in 1948, bringing three start to the establishment. The restaurant is now in the hands of the very famous Guy Martin.

It's really after the revolution that restaurants will flourish in Paris. Going from only 100 restaurants to about 3000 after the Revolution. The chefs and all the domestic staff from the aristocracy left without work decided to open their own establishments.

The concept of restaurant will travel the world. It is said that the first restaurant in America was open in Boston in 1794. 

The food was then place on the table for the guests to enjoy-service á la Française. It’s only in 1810 introduce by the Russian Prince Kourakine, that the guests will be receiving a meal on their own plate as we see today called service á la Russe.

It is only in the middle of the 1800, that restaurants become more affordable and open to a clientele of workers, craftsmen and students, creating les gargotes, guinguettes and other place where one can dine on a small budget.

In 1803, Grimod de la Reynière was the first food critic, publishing his Almanach des Gourmets, we would have to wait 1900 so see the first Guide Michelin!