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The former Top Chef candidate will put down his knives in mid-July at rue de Lausanne, in Fribourg. Pierre-Pascal Clément launches alongside two partners. The trio focuses on two rooms with different culinary concepts.
Pierre-Pascal Clément (center) joins forces with Dany (left) and Patrick Ferreira to launch his first restaurant. © Jean-Baptiste Morel
Published on 04/26/2024
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Pierre-Pascal Clément no longer appears on Wednesday evenings on the show Top chef on M6. But the former telecrochet candidate intends to return to the forefront. More precisely at the bottom of rue de Lausanne, in Fribourg, where he will open his first restaurant in July. This will take place in the former premises of the Cocotte establishment which has just closed at number 10. Previously, they hosted the Holy Cow burger chain and the Au Chasseur restaurant.
The Fribourgeois surrounded himself with two partners to embark on this adventure: Patrick and Dany Ferreira. The first has already been at the head of several establishments in the city center and currently manages Stud, a shoe concept store based in Friborg Centre. The second is the current manager of Nouveau Monde and manages the Cinq et demi brand, which makes local gin. Having just signed the rental lease, Pierre-Pascal Clément reveals what his first establishment will look like.
Why did you hire yourself for this project?
Pierre-Pascal Clément: If I had been asked this question 5-6 years ago, I would probably have wanted to go it alone. In the meantime, I evolved and realized that I wanted to share moments and experiences with other people. The good and the bad. The three of us can pool our ideas and go further. In my eyes, this is much more important than the pride of having achieved something alone.
How was your project born?
I already knew Patrick, and I like people like him and his brother: they are versatile, have lots of ideas and work hard to make them come true. A little over a year ago, when I was still working at Maison Manesse in Zurich, I was planning to return to the region. They had a lead to take over an establishment in Fribourg. They contacted me to work together.
Television: Who is PP Clément, the first Fribourgeois to participate in Top Chef?
While discussing how to partner, we quickly agreed on everything. In the end nothing happened, but we continued to look for premises, taking our time. And here we are at rue de Lausanne. Our trio is complementary. Dany will be in charge of management, Patrick of the customer experience and me of the kitchen.
What concept are you going to focus on for your establishment?
We imagined two different atmospheres. In the first room, customers can have drinks and eat tapas in a relaxed atmosphere. In the back, it will be the restaurant part with around thirty seats. I will serve my cuisine there which I describe as modern, surprising, seasonal and regional. There will be discovery on each plate, with pronounced and assumed tastes. Vegetarian and vegan dishes will also be on the menu. There will be around ten of us working here in total, and we will also serve daily lunch menus at affordable prices.
Do you have a target audience?
No, our goal is to welcome as many different profiles as possible. Some customers don’t want to spend 100 francs in a restaurant, and I completely understand. They will be able to find their pleasure in the first room with gourmet plates in a street food spirit. Those who want a restaurant setting and culinary discoveries will come to the back. We don’t want to race for Michelin stars or Gault & Millau points. The important thing is to please and offer a level to the maximum of our skills.
You are required to keep the Au Chasseur sign, which appears on the facade of the building. Is this a disadvantage?
On the contrary. We respect the traditions already in place, and we also wanted a place with character. The only thing that scares us is that this name emphasizes the meat side too much. We will use it to define the map which will be in hunter-gatherer mode.
“I will serve my cuisine there which I describe as modern, surprising, seasonal and regional”
Pierre-Pascal Clément
This represents my culinary identity well: well-selected meats cooked in a traditional way, and the more modern plant-based cuisine side.
We hear that the city center of Friborg is dying and that it is becoming complicated for traders and restaurateurs. Nothing to scare you?
I find that in the media, we write a lot about restaurants that aren’t working and not enough about those that have been doing well for years. Because there are! We are determined and we have precise ideas of what we want to do, while having the capacity to adapt to changes in the market. I wanted to set up my establishment in the heart of Friborg because this energy is close to my heart. I think a customer comes to a restaurant because they have a good reason to come. This regardless of the lack of parking spaces and 30 km/h zones!
Patrick and Dany will also propose events, and I will be able to make the link with the cantonal authorities. We have already met the city of Friborg and Gastro Fribourg. They are happy to see people come with ideas. We will respond to energize the city!
