Enthroned near the Esplanade des Invalides, Divellec is our favorite address in the 7th arrondissement. It must be said that the starred table of chef Mathieu Pacaud brings together all the assets to please the most demanding gourmets: a chic setting, tasty iodized cuisine and a perfectly intimate atmosphere.
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A table that has reinvented itself with elegance
Inaugurated in 1983 under the name “Le Divellec” – that it owes to its creator Jacques Le Divellec – the eponymous establishment represented a real politico-marine institution. Taken over in 2016 by Matthew Pacaud, the address is completely reinvented to reveal a much more modern table. We then discover a chic and intimate setting and a subdued atmosphere… Only six months after its reopening, Mathieu Pacaud obtained his first star in the Michelin guide. A feat.
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Mathieu Pacaud: the star chef of the establishment
Immersed from birth in the deep end of haute cuisine, Mathieu Pacaud began at the age of 15 with Benoît Guichard (formerly of Robuchon) then joined the brigade by Éric Briffard at the Plaza Athénée. He then left for Lebanon where he headed several establishments before returning in 2003 to Ambrosia, alongside his father, Bernard Pacaud. He then held all the positions in the kitchen and became a chef at the age of 28. At the heart of this magnificent house (awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide), he is forever imbued with excellence.
In 2015, Mathieu Pacaud created his first restaurants Hexagon et Stories, both under the same roof, near the Trocadéro in Paris. A year after their opening, the two restaurants have been awarded Michelin: one star for Hexagone where the chef revives the great classics of French cuisine in style, and two stars for Histoires, a kind of culinary laboratory where he invents new alchemies. He took over Divellec the following year and had a string of great projects, notably by signing Anne's restaurant menu in 2020, Apicius and Laurent, an institution on the Champs-Élysées.
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A chic decoration in tune with the times
When Mathieu Pacaud arrived in 2016, Divellec experienced a impressive facelift. THE knockout studio has revamped the premises in a resolutely chic style : velvet benches, woodwork, rattan lampshades…
As soon as you arrive, you enter through a vestibule occupied by a cognac velvet banquette in the style of an Opera foyer, a beautiful tribute to the Café Florian in Venice. With large bay windows, the restaurant is bathed in light every lunchtime. We also discover small alcoves with divine intimacy and poetic winter gardens.
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A map which sublimates seafood products
At Divellec, it's the sea which is in the spotlight and this, since always. During a precise and tasty tasting, you will rediscover iodized flavors. As starters, try the fabulous oysters, squid, clams or one of the carpaccios and ceviche. Then comes the time to choose between several sublime fish. Sole meunière, sea bass in a salt crust, John Dory cooked on a plate of Himalayan salt, Turbotin and its Béarnaise sauce… before ending in subtle sweet variations that leave you dreaming. Our recommendations ? The incredible Montblanc or the delicious chocolate soufflé.
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Lthe sommelier and his “By Divellec” creations
Appointed Master Sommelier of the French Sommelier Union in 2019, Frederic Turpaud and the restaurant conductor. He advises each client with a communicative passion, unique to him.
Responsible for a sumptuous cellar of more than 1200 references, he will associate with harmony all the wines of which he reserves the choice. But Frederic Turpaud does not stop there since he awakens your senses with “The ephemeral macerations of Divellec”. Specially homemade alcohols such as Gin by Fred, Lulu la Nantaise, Rhum by Divellec…
Divellec, 18 rue Fabert, 75007 Paris, 01 45 51 91 96. Open every day, from 12:30 a.m. to 14 p.m. and from 19:30 p.m. to 22 p.m..
