L'Aspérule

The story

L'Aspérule: Michelin-Recommended Japanese Modern Cuisine in Auxerre

The name L’Aspérule recalls the woodruff plant Chef Keigo Kimura gathered daily during his years with Marc Veyrat. That modest wild herb—the asperula—now names two restaurants, one in Auxerre and one in Dijon, where Kimura’s cooking is anything but modest.

Trained in the kitchens of Marc Veyrat, Christopher Coutanceau and Joël Robuchon, Kimura developed a precise, refined style. At L’Aspérule Auxerre, he practices a delicate Modern Cuisine with a subtle Japanese accent. The menu changes with the seasons, built around fresh, local ingredients treated with restraint and clarity.

The dining room on rue du Pont is elegant and intimate, with attentive service and a wine list that draws on Burgundy’s greatest crus. The Michelin guide has recognised this address with a recommendation, noting that the chef’s work is “of great finesse.” It’s a fitting reward for a kitchen that respects the codes of French gastronomy while bringing its own quiet originality.

L’Aspérule Auxerre also offers private dining, outdoor seating in good weather, and custom catering for events. For those who want to go deeper, the restaurant hosts culinary classes. Whether you come from Auxerre, Dijon or farther afield, the experience is consistent: cooking that is both grounded and surprising, made with skill and without flash.