All weekend, numerous events marked the second anniversary of the Cité de la Gastrnomie et du Vin in Dijon. Several cooking masterclasses were offered on a real TV set. The starred chef of the Château de Citeaux, Takashi Kinoshita, notably proposed a recipe for scrambled eggs in mousse, with diced salmon and marigold flowers. The demonstration delighted the guests: 80 of them registered.
The city welcomes 70,000 visitors every month
There were also people in the alleys of the gastronomic village. Visitors came to take part in the life-size investigation organized by the theater troupe “La Grande Enquête”, taste chef David Gomes’ giant paella, or listen to culinary tales at the Cité bookstore, for the youngest. A great success therefore, but in the background, the certainty that there are still Dijon people missing at the table.
Pascale divides her time between Dijon and Paris, but always finds time to spend time in the City. For her, the people of Dijon perhaps don’t appreciate “its too bohemian side”, and prefer their “terroir”. Same story with Paul, a pure Côte-d’Orien. If he recognizes the importance of the institution for “international influence”, he finds that the place lacks “conviviality”, because of its appearance “too concrete, too new”.
Prices for all budgets
The restaurant manager of the gastronomic village, Daniel Jung, concedes that this is the big challenge of the months to come. He recalls that his establishments have adapted their price ranges. “You can eat very well for €15 for lunch at the “experiential cuisine” restaurant, for example, and in a setting which, it must be said, is very pleasant.” There is of course the gourmet menu at €39, but “the bakery also offers a range of sandwiches at reasonable prices” says Daniel Jung.
“It’s a place with free access, where you can do what you want,” insists Dominique Buccelato, the director of the cultural center. “We will continue to work on a diversity of proposals for all audiences and all budgets, to convince the people of Dijon that this is their place.”
Since opening, the city has welcomed 1.8 million visitors, or 70,000 per month. Good figures, comparable to other similar structures in France, such as the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. The objective for the coming months will be to maintain this trend, by continuing to attract tourists, but also to attract more regular visitors, and in particular those from Dijon.
