Traditional brasserie and bistronomy

What are traditional brasserie and bistronomy?

Traditional catering accounts for the majority of small and medium-sized businesses in the sector, often operated within a family framework, but can also be part of a franchise system.

Brasseries represent the great French tradition. Historically, this referred to a place where beer was brewed and consumed on the premises. Today, it refers to large bistros in settings steeped in history, often classified as historic monuments. The visual codes are very distinctive (long bar, red velvet banquette, small tables and large mirror). With a strong urban presence, and particularly popular in Paris, brasseries have the particularity of serving a large volume of customers over a wide range of services at reasonable prices. Depending on their size, they can accommodate an average of a hundred diners continuously. The great classics of traditional brasserie cuisine include croque-monsieur, leek-vinaigrette and blanquette de veau.

It’s worth distinguishing three sub-categories of brasseries, which cater for a wide range of customers:

• Classic brasseries, often with a dish of the day or a “brewer’s” theme, such as Brasseries Maître Kanter or Au Pied de Cochon in Paris.
• Bistro à l’ancienne” concept brasseries, such as Le Café Procope, or ‘brasserie belle époque’ concept brasseries, such as Brasserie Julien.
• Luxury chain brasseries with higher average ticket prices, such as Brasserie Lipp.

Nowadays, formulas are evolving to include more modern cuisine and a reduced menu in the high-end segment with bistronomy. A contraction of brasserie/bistro and gastronomy, these establishments revisit local dishes with refined dressings, lighter sauces and condiments, and the integration of original products and spices. Among the capital’s bistronomic restaurants, we can cite starred chef Alain Ducasse’s “Benoît”, where traditional dishes using seasonal produce are brought up to date. Although the cuisine is highly sophisticated, bistronomic restaurants keep conviviality and proximity to the customer at the heart of their identity.

Our best practices

In recent years, brasseries and restaurants have been modernizing with unique and colorful decor to attract a younger clientele, while maintaining the traditional brasserie essence: simple and flavorful cuisine in a friendly environment. Today, customers have high expectations regarding the seasonality of products and their sourcing. Therefore, it is now essential for chefs to bring innovation to their menus and offer homemade dishes, despite the often substantial volumes typical of this type of dining.

Furthermore, the ambiance in high-volume settings can sometimes lead to noise disturbances for your patrons. For this reason, when undertaking renovations to open a restaurant of this kind, it is advisable to work with an interior architect who can guide you on how to manage noise levels through partition systems or the choice of materials that can more or less absorb sound.

The support we offer you

The inherent challenge of a brasserie is to maintain both fast service and a high quantity and quality of dishes. Ducasse Conseil can provide an external perspective to optimize the organization of such establishments and achieve operational fluidity without compromising the quality of the plates.

Furthermore, our chef consultants, with their extensive experience in the restaurants of Chef Alain Ducasse, are true experts in traditional cuisine and bistronomy. We can assist you in updating your offerings to align with the latest culinary trends, whether in France or globally. Repositioning, recipe creation, staff training—these are just a few areas where we can offer personalized support tailored to your needs.