La Réserve Rimbaud

The story

La Réserve Rimbaud: Michelin-Starred Modern Cuisine in Montpellier

La Réserve Rimbaud

In Montpellier, an old stone building buried in greenery and a sunny terrace overlooking the river Lez set the stage for La Réserve Rimbaud. Here, Chef Charles Fontès practices a cuisine of simple pleasures, rooted in the truth of the product. He plays with contrasts, textures, and flavours without ever masking the ingredient.

Fontès’s career includes time at the Hôtel Barrière Les Neiges in Courchevel with Pascal Kirsch, and at Alain Dutournier’s Carré des Feuillants in Paris. At La Réserve Rimbaud, he and his team share a single aim: to let the exceptional regional produce of Occitanie speak. The result is a modern cuisine that changes with the seasons, always centred on the natural character of the raw materials.

The restaurant’s history runs deep. In 1875, Titus Rimbaud took over the Auberge du Père Louis and built a permanent structure that still stands. The Gusserand brothers turned it into a prestigious gourmet address in 1902, creating the famous “Lez croquettes.” In 2006, Charles Fontès decided to revitalise this Montpellier institution. Three years later, the restaurant earned its first Michelin star, a recognition it still holds today.

The setting is integral to the experience. The terrace follows the curves of the river, plane trees provide shade on summer evenings, and soft, intimate lights create a peaceful atmosphere. Whether for lunch or a relaxed dinner, it is a place to pause.

Menus range from four to six courses, including a lunch menu served Monday through Friday. The wine list, with more than 300 references, favours the region’s most renowned winegrowers and includes a unique collection of old vintages from the Languedoc.