A Day in the Life of Eric Chavot, Chef Patron of Brasserie Chavot

I use the recipes passed down to me by my grandmother and mother. My biggest critics are the ladies in my family.

My day starts in the early morning with first coffee and then a shower, all done in five minutes before I am out the door at precisely 6:45am, ready to head across town to Brasserie Chavot on my Vespa.

I arrive at the restaurant at 7:15am to greet the team and front of house staff. By 9am all the stock and goods are checked and chased if necessary. This is also the time for the second cup of coffee and a glass of vitamin juice.

First we need to complete the preps for the meat and the fish, and then from 12pm until 2.30pm I will stand in the pass overseeing and watching every dish that leaves the kitchen, making sure each one is perfect. The pass is also set up with microphones and cameras to keep a vigilant watch on the tables and guests.

Brasserie Chavot was a project that was 30 years in the making, and took 6 months of planning. Before the launch there were long days, but now I’m pleased to say that the brasserie is exactly how I pictured it in my dreams as a young boy growing up in Arcachon.

The menu is very personal to me, as many of the dishes are ones that stem from my childhood. I have used recipes passed down to me by my grandmother and mother. My biggest critics are the ladies in my family — they taught me to cook, and they encouraged my passion. All the dishes you will see on my menu were my favourites growing up in South-West France.

See Eric Chavot’s Steak Tartare Recipe

It’s a long day here. After the lunch service, dinner preparations begin and again I stand at the pass from 6pm until 10.30pm. I don not leave until the last bill is paid, which is often at 1am.