Paul Bocuse

A family inn by the river

Paul Bocuse was born in 1926 into a family of cooks at Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, on the Saône just north of Lyon. He trained with great chefs including Fernand Point at La Pyramide in Vienne, then returned to take over the family restaurant, L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges.

In 1965 the Auberge received its third Michelin star. It held three stars for 55 years, a record, until the guide reduced it to two in 2020, two years after Bocuse's death.

Nouvelle cuisine

Bocuse was one of the leading names linked to nouvelle cuisine in the 1970s, a lighter style that put fresh, top-quality ingredients first and cut back on heavy sauces. Yet he never abandoned the classics, and his menu kept rich French dishes alongside new ideas.

He was also one of the first chefs to become an international celebrity, travelling widely, opening brasseries in Lyon and helping to make the chef, not just the restaurant, a famous name.

He also helped change the status of chefs. In the past cooks rarely left their kitchens, but Bocuse greeted diners in the dining room, appeared on television and wrote books, and his tall white toque became a familiar image. Many younger chefs followed his example in becoming the public face of their restaurants.

The Bocuse d'Or

In 1987 Bocuse founded the Bocuse d'Or, a cooking competition held in Lyon in which national teams prepare elaborate dishes in front of a live audience. It is often described as the unofficial world championship for chefs, and its trophies show a chef figure standing on a globe.

The food guide Gault Millau named him Chef of the Century in 1989, one of several honours that made him a symbol of French cooking.

What to taste

The Auberge is known for French classics served with great ceremony, such as sea bass in pastry, chicken from Bresse cooked in a pig's bladder, and fillet of sole with noodles in a buttery glaze, a dish linked to his teacher Fernand Point.

Bocuse died at Collonges in January 2018, in the same room where he was born. His restaurant continues under his team, and his name lives on through the Paul Bocuse Institute culinary school and the competition that bears his name.

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