Paute

The story

Paute Restaurant in Pau – Modern Cuisine from Two Ferrandi Alumni

Paute, Pau

In the narrow, stepped Passage Darracq, just off the rue du Hédas, two friends have realised a shared dream. Maxime Laplace and Nicolas Moreau met on the benches of Ferrandi in Paris in 2009, then honed their craft in some of France’s most respected kitchens — L’Ambroisie in Paris, La Mère Brazier in Lyon, Les Crayères in Reims — before opening their own place in Pau. The result is a restaurant that feels both ambitious and unpretentious.

The dining room, with its stone walls, exposed brick and whitewashed surfaces, sets a warm, intimate tone. The cooking follows the same philosophy: direct, generous, and rooted in the Béarn region. The menu changes with the seasons, drawing on carefully sourced local produce from farmers who practice clean, reasoned agriculture. This is modern cuisine that lets the ingredients speak, without unnecessary flourishes.

At lunch, a three-course menu offers a tight, precise selection. Recent dishes have included a perfectly cooked organic egg with camomile, pickled potato and fresh herbs, or a meltingly tender veal breast from the Larriou farm, slow-cooked then seared, served with a Madeira cream and hazelnuts. The evening brings a choice of four or six courses, with dishes like flame-grilled peas with garlic cream and satay, or BBQ guinea fowl leg with a creamy blackcurrant leaf jus. Desserts, such as an intensely vanilla blanc-manger with raspberry and baker’s yeast ice cream, show a playful, confident touch.

The restaurant’s approach has not gone unnoticed. It is recommended by the Michelin Guide, a recognition that fits naturally with the precision and care evident in every plate. Paute is a place where two friends cook what they love, and it shows.