Les Grands Buffets - where French cuisine and style create uniqueness

The restaurant's kitchen team of about 90 people is responsible for all stages of preparation in true French style. (Photo: Nguyen Thu Ha/VNA)

Buffet restaurants are not a new form of culinary business, but diners can choose from hundreds of sophisticated, classy French dishes, made by experienced chefs, in a classic, luxurious environment at a reasonable price, an experience that can only be found at Les Grands Buffets restaurant in the city of Narbonne.

That is the feeling of VNA reporter in France when coming to this restaurant.

Giant blocks of cheese piled high to the ceiling, mountains of steaming lobsters, trays of golden, fatty foie gras, roast duck drizzled with rich blood pudding sauce, and a tower of chocolate flowing like a brown silk ribbon placed among trays of cakes and fruits of all shapes and attractive colors...

A total of more than 300 dishes of all kinds, from appetizers to main courses to desserts, create a grand feast, just like the restaurant's name: Les Grands Buffets.

Located on the outskirts of Narbonne in the South of France, this unique restaurant captivates diners not only with the variety of menus prepared by the chefs, the traditional flavors of the cuisine and the richness of the wines, but also with the luxurious and sophisticated royal-style space, as well as the attentive and thoughtful service attitude of the staff.

Comparing himself to the ambassador of French cuisine, Mr. Philippe Munoz - the restaurant's chef - identifies the responsibility of the kitchen staff as bringing diners delicious and impressive dishes.

He shared: "Each dish is a story about cuisine and culture. Our specialties are traditional French dishes and holiday dishes, prepared in traditional ways such as foie gras, duck with blood sauce, 36-hour stewed veal head, or grilled lobster with cheese..."

His kitchen team of about 90 people is responsible for all stages from stir-frying, mixing, baking, baking, stuffing sausages, processing seafood... all done in the true French style.

The dining rooms are spacious, uniquely decorated, each with a theme and decorated with the works of a famous French artist, creating a unique elegance that cannot be found anywhere else.

Every detail of the restaurant is carefully and meticulously prepared, bringing diners excitement, making them impressed with an unforgettable party, awakening not only the sense of taste and smell but also sight, hearing, touch and feeling.

Lucia Lozano, a customer from Spain, was amazed by both the quantity and quality of the food. "The food was amazing, with a wide selection of appetizers, meat, fish, wine and desserts. The restaurant is also beautifully decorated with a classic, elegant style. Everything was perfect. This is our second time here, the first time was about 7 years ago. It's great to be here again," she shared with a satisfied smile.

As for Christianne Bellosart, a diner from the Swiss border, this was her first time at Les Grands Buffets. She said she had heard a lot about the restaurant but it was not easy to reserve a table. She had to book 4 months in advance to get a table to enjoy a party with friends here.

According to her, there are many things that make people love this place, from the hotel's decoration, to the quality of the food, as well as the enthusiastic and dedicated service attitude of the staff... That is the reason she really wants to come back next year.

As for diner Aymet Jacques, he and his family come here every year for vacations because they live near Narbonne. "The prices here are very reasonable. The restaurant has a wide and varied selection, from seafood, to meat dishes, to desserts, and even wine. That's why I come here often," he explains.

Over 30 years of building reputation

Les Grands Buffets was founded in 1989 by Mr. and Mrs. Jane and Louis Privat in the city of Narbonne, in the Occitanie region, with the desire to bring diners traditional dishes and luxurious service in the classic French style.

With over 100 types of cheese introduced daily, Les Grands Buffets has been recognized in the Guinness Book of Records 2021 as having the world's largest cheese plate. (Photo: Nguyen Thu Ha/VNA)

For 34 years, the restaurant has been a success. Its reputation has spread far beyond the small town of Narbonne, even beyond the borders of France. With only 600 seats, the restaurant is open 365 days a year and welcomes around 370,000 diners each year, with more than 60% of its customers coming from all over France and abroad.

Sharing with VNA reporters in France about the secret to this success, Mr. Louis Privat, owner of Les Grands Buffets restaurant, said: "At first, we were only known in the city of Narbonne and neighboring localities. Gradually, we became famous in the southern region of France, then in the whole of France and now our reputation has crossed borders, reaching Europe and other continents.

Customers come to experience our restaurant because not every restaurant in France offers diners all the colors of traditional cuisine with dishes from popular to royal, from everyday to festive."

Stéphane Simon, head of communications, added that Les Grands Buffets is also known for its many records. “We have the world’s largest cheese plate, which was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records in 2021. Depending on the season and availability, we present our guests with more than 100 cheeses every day.

The second record is that we have the world's largest silver plate, which was also recorded in the Guinness Book of Records in 1989. The turnover is always the top in French restaurants, with an annual figure of 24 million euros, which also creates a record for the restaurant's profits."

Revealing his plans for the near future, owner Louis Privat said he will move Les Grands Buffets restaurant to a more beautiful location, according to luxury and modern hotel standards, adding other dishes, but still keeping the current reasonable prices so that the public can access it.

In addition, a food store will also be opened with items prepared and introduced by the restaurant's chefs for customers to buy to take away. Les Grands Buffets will also open a cooking school with famous chefs as instructors.

Mr. Louis Privat said: “We do not intend to develop this restaurant chain in France, or anywhere in the world because I only want to maintain a restaurant in Narbonne, which is also my wife and I's hometown, and want it to be the only place where diners all over the world can come to enjoy French cuisine with joy. Therefore, the wish we always send to diners is to wish them a happy meal, not just a delicious meal”./.

(Vietnam+)

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