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Dining in the City of Lights with The Ritz’s head chef
By Judy Cogan | 28 August 2024 | Food & Drink, Indulge
As head chef of Espadon at The Ritz Paris, Eugénie Béziat is well-versed in the city’s gastronomic appeal. As the Paralympics opens in Paris, she shares her dining hot spots and thoughts on classic French fare
The Ritz Paris first opened in Place Vendôme in 1898 and soon became one of the most luxurious and highly regarded hotels in the world. But far from relying on past success, the hotel completed a four-year €140m (£111m) in 2016, breathing new life into the historic institution.
Eight years later, Eugénie Béziat is pioneering the Ritz’s gastronomic influence as the hotel’s first female head chef, where she infuses its new flagship restaurant Espadon – which opened in Septemer 2023 – with her Michelin-star mix of Provençal and African heritage. Since joining in 2023, L’Espadon has wowed guests and gastronomes around the world with the stand out fusion dishes that so perfectly reflect modern Paris. Here, the talented chef tells us more.
Eugénie, tell us about some of your highlights as head chef of The Ritz Paris?
Learning to work and evolve in one of the most beautiful hotels in the world with very high standards, incredible customer care and absolute attention to detail has been quite a challenge. My greatest victory was to obtain our first Michelin star just six months after opening the restaurant. This is a source of great pride for the restaurant’s teams.
What is the one dish everyone must order at Espadon?
The lobster cassava bissap is a dish that takes you on a sensual gourmet voyage. It has a delicate aesthetic, blending hibiscus, cassava semolina, samphire and sea urchin. It combines all the technical skills of French gastronomy with my personal inspiration, which comes from my childhood living in Africa for 18 years.
Where do you love to eat in Paris on a day off?
I recently discovered the restaurant called FIEF (Fait Ici en France) by Chef Victor Mercier. I really loved his very tasty, authentic and refined French cuisine – and the setting, with its open-plan kitchen. I also love to go to Tekes, for its Mediterranean cuisine and atmosphere.
What is the biggest misconception people have around French food?
That French cuisine is too rich – cream, dishes in sauce, butter – whereas nowadays French cuisine is much lighter. My kitchen thrives on three words: communication, empowerment and serenity – not just butter.