INFO LA DEPECHE. “I grew up among the Michelin stars”, Quentin Pellestor Veyrier opens his restaurant in the former Amphitryon

His name probably doesn’t mean anything to you and yet the young thirty-year-old from Narbonne is not on his first try. After sixteen years spent in other people’s kitchens, his arrival in Toulouse was an obvious choice.

A large city in Occitania, its capital itself, a magnificent working tool which was the heyday of Yannick Delpech who won 2 Michelin stars there at the time of the Amphitryon.

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“When we arrived in the parking lot, it made us think of a house, of a family spirit that we would like to bring both to our employees but also to our customers. It is also in this spirit that the name Maison Pellestor Veyrier ended up winning.” A big investment, “I put down to my underwear, I have nothing left. It’s the project of a lifetime surrounded by people in whom, with my partner, we have complete confidence. People in the same dynamic as us because we will all live in the same house”.

Dream team en cuisine

Even if they remain humble and realistic, it is clear that the quartet in the kitchen is a dream. Quentin started at 15 with Franck Putelat (2 Michelin stars) in Carcassonne before leaving for a little over 3 years with Gilles Goujon (3 Michelin stars at the Auberge du Vieux Puits). After that, he joined Alain Ducasse at Dorcester (3*) in London, whom he followed at Meurice (2*) in Paris. Then it will be the kitchens of l’Ambroisie (Bernard Pacaud, 3*) and a position as chef at the restaurant l’Abeille du Shangri-La (2*). Covid obliges, the Narbonnais returns home then becomes chef to Gilles Goujon, his father in the kitchen, in Béziers at Alter Native (1*).

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As assistants, we will find Teddy Nalais, “17 years of friendship, a real little brother”, who is leaving his position as sous chef at Lionel Giraud (2*) and Guillaume Carles, “a real Chaurien”, chef gone to Franck Putelat.

Jean-Marc Joffraud will take care of the sweet side after eight years spent alongside Cédric Grolet at Meurice. The room is not left out since Camille Hubert, the chef’s partner, will take care of it after having worked for Christopher Coutanceau, the Pourcel Brothers or Cyril Attrazic. In the sommelier we will find Nathan Ménou, the Toulouse resident of the stage, former sommelier of the N° 5 Wine Bar.

Ode to the Occitan terroir

“Our cuisine will make sense with our values, no fuss, the plate will go to the essentials with a lot of work on the sauces.” Six years as saucier chef for Alain Ducasse, Quentin even talks about liquid seasoning including sauces, juices, vinaigrettes, extractions and others which will enhance regional products.

“We are going to work on our terroir, apart from obviously chocolate or vanilla, we are keen to promote our territory, our tea will be produced in Roussillon, our citrus fruits will come from Gilles Pèlerin near Albi, the promotion of all these artisan producers, breeders without whom we would be nothing seems essential to us.”

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The restaurant will start by treating 25 guests to be seated properly and will offer 3 menus: La Halte Déjeuner at €55, the Champêtre in 5 stops at €95 and the Transhumance in 7 stops at €125.

When we talk about the Michelin guide, the chef does not hide his ambition having “grown up among the Michelin stars” but refuses to be pressured from the opening, we understand that!