His name is not written on the restaurant door, nor embroidered on his white jacket. Erwan Ledru does not have a big head, but his feet on the ground, and his restaurant on rue Gustave-Flaubert, in Paris, is full for lunch and dinner. Without it going overboard, because the chef cares about the comfort of his guests. Erwan Ledru is only 30 years old, but already a long way behind him, and in front of the kitchen.
“During service, I don’t cook. I assemble, I prepare, and throw the dishes to the three people and two apprentices who are with me in the kitchen, in order to keep an eye on everything,” he confides, like a warlord on the front line who would refrain from firing a shot. He arrived early in the morning, peeled eight kilos of crab claws, and checked the freshness of the scallops.
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“Simple dishes, with concentrated tastes”
In the dining room, the square marble tables, or round wooden tables, without tablecloths, are flanked by chairs or a long bench. The bottles of Plancoët signify a discreet attachment to its Breton roots, and ready for the aperitif, a barrel of Negroni, underlines its open-mindedness. Erwan Ledru's style can be summed up in two words: “simple dishes, with concentrated tastes”.
“Immerse yourself in an eco-responsible taste adventure,” announces the lunch menu (€34). From the start the tone is set: cauliflower in Grenobloise, topped with a light zabaglione with brown butter. Followed by a pollack, just pearly,
with small mushrooms bathing in a delicious broth. The airy mille-feuille, accompanied by rosemary ice cream, concludes the meal. “There’s nothing you can’t eat as good at home,” assures the chef, and the promise is kept.
This is what we call in Paris an excellent neighborhood restaurant. It must be said that a stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe, these are beautiful neighborhoods. Without a flashy opulence spoiling the party, and contradicting Erwan Ledru, who is keen to adapt to each of the tables. “In front of a duo of suits and ties, we pay attention to the tempo of the service,” he smiles, “and on the contrary, we slow down the pace with a couple of lovers.”
“I refused to participate in Top Chef”
The chef is himself a father of two children, and closes on weekends to have a family life. Breton father and cook, Norman mother, Erwan Ledru is originally from Plufur (22) and does not remember having made a CV looking for a job.
“It’s a job that requires a lot of sacrifice, I don’t count my hours, and that has often served me well.” In the food industry more than elsewhere, word of mouth remains the best way to make yourself known. No need to add more. “I even refused to participate in Top Chef, it’s a lot of work, and I don’t like putting myself forward.”
“Like footballers, we have early careers,” confides the man who completed a CAP and his professional baccalaureate in apprenticeship at the Ferrandi school. Before hiring at Lasserre and at Le Meurice, then with a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the butcher-caterer Arnaud Nicolas. Associated with Kevin de Porre, a former Ferrandi employee, he received a first star in 2022 at Contraste, a restaurant in the 8th arrondissement.
“Michelin is sometimes mysterious”
So, are you tempted to get a new one for Bistrot Flaubert, we ask him, between coffee and sweets? “Why not, but Michelin is sometimes mysterious, I don’t even know if we have been inspected,” he replies, aware of being judged twice a day, starting with his customers.
On the shelves, however, among the multi-colored jars of thyme vinegar and aromatic herbs, we can see a row of red guides like justices of the peace looking over the menus and the wine list. Erwan Ledru never waited for their verdict to roll up his sleeves, under which we can see a few tattoos on his left arm. Memories of travel that he cherishes, as much as fishing trips with his grandfather, always concluded with a feast of Locquémeau mussels.
Le Bistrot Flaubert, 10 rue Gustave-Flaubert, 75017, Paris. T. 01 42 67 05 81. Open Monday to Friday.
