The story
In the small village of Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, just a few minutes from Sens in the Yonne, Le Martin Bel Air has been under the command of chef Jean-Raphaël Persano since December 2017. The restaurant takes its name from the revolutionary-era appellation of the village, and its cooking is firmly rooted in Burgundian tradition, updated with modern techniques.
Persano’s path to the kitchen was a natural one: his father managed a brasserie, his mother cooked. He honed his craft in some of France’s finest kitchens—four years with Jean-Michel Lorain at the three-Michelin-starred La Côte Saint Jacques in Joigny, then stages at Le Cigalon in Luxembourg, Le Richebourg in Vosne-Romanée, and L’Hostellerie des Clos in Chablis. His first head-chef roles took him to Nuits-Saint-Georges, Auxerre, and beyond before he settled here.
At Le Martin Bel Air, Persano works exclusively with fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from regional partners. Everything is made in-house—including the ice creams and sorbets. The menus change constantly, but certain staples remain: foie gras, veal sweetbreads, and escargots marinated in Chablis on a silky parsley coulis with confit garlic cream. The plates combine colour and balanced flavours, always with a touch of surprise.
The wine list is a serious affair: over 500 appellations, featuring grand names from Burgundy and beyond. The setting is a comfortable dining room with a large blackboard listing the day’s offerings.
The restaurant has held the Maître Restaurateur title since 2019 and was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide for 2026, recognising its good-quality, good-value cooking. It also earned two toques from Gault&Millau in 2023. Le Martin Bel Air offers a modern take on Burgundian cuisine that is both honest and inventive—a bistro worth the short drive from Sens or even Paris.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
Location
Facebook
X