Au Trou Gascon

The story

Au Trou Gascon Paris – Modern Cuisine in a Classic Parisian Bistro

A New Chapter for a Parisian Institution

Opened in 1973, Au Trou Gascon was the stronghold of chef Alain Dutournier for five decades. Now, a new team has taken the reins, writing a fresh chapter for this Parisian address. Restaurateur Grégory Reibenberg (La Belle Équipe, Basique) brought in the highly talented chef Sarah Chougnet-Strudel, already acclaimed for her restaurant Regain in Marseille. In the dining room, Jean-Félix Frichot welcomes guests and curates a wine and cocktail list that leans toward organic, biodynamic, and natural producers. The result is a restaurant that honors its legacy while feeling entirely of the moment.

Chef Sarah Chougnet-Strudel’s Cuisine

Chef Chougnet-Strudel’s path is an impressive one. A Parisian by birth, she trained at Ferrandi (graduating as valedictorian) and apprenticed under Chef Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance. She worked in pastry at SaQuaNa with Alexandre Bourdas, taught French cuisine in Singapore, and then cooked in London with Anne-Sophie Pic and Hélène Darroze before becoming head chef at the wine bar Antidote. At Au Trou Gascon, she brings her Michelin-starred technique to a cuisine of sharing. Far from small plates, her cooking is built around impeccable sourcing: fish from Saint-Jean de Luz, duck from Gers, and seasonal vegetables from Île-de-France. Her modern and uninhibited interpretation of bourgeois cuisine embraces vegetables, spices, and the power of sauces, with fruits often playing off savory dishes. The menu changes regularly, but recent offerings include a veal tartare with winter condiment and hazelnuts, artichoke gyoza in a fennel broth, and a vol-au-vent with cuttlefish and asparagus ragoût.

The Space and the Recognition

Interior architect Clémentine Nguyen (Studio Élémentaire) has transformed the dining room, embracing the original moldings and Parisian heritage while creating a contemporary space with an open kitchen. The atmosphere is elegant and warm, a fitting setting for this bold, signature cuisine. The restaurant’s quality has been recognized by the Michelin guide, which has given it a Recommended award. Au Trou Gascon is a place where the clarity of flavors is paramount, and each dish invites you to simply indulge.