Septime in Paris – the restaurant Bertrand Grébaut leaves behind

Septime on rue de Charonne showed that a Michelin-starred restaurant can have bare wooden tables and relaxed service. In July 2026, founder Bertrand Grébaut died, aged 44. The restaurant holds one star in the Guide Michelin.

At ten o'clock every morning, Septime opens its online bookings, and anyone wanting a table needs to be quick. The Guide Michelin mentions this in its description of the restaurant on rue de Charonne in eastern Paris, and it says something about what Septime has become since it opened in 2011: one of the city's most sought-after restaurants, without ever having traded its relaxed style for formality.

Septime has one star in the Guide Michelin France 2026. On 4 July 2026, the restaurant announced that founder Bertrand Grébaut had died, aged 44, after a period of illness.

Bertrand Grébaut – from graphic design to Arpège

Bertrand Grébaut was born on 5 December 1981. He started as a graphic designer before turning to cooking, trained at the Ferrandi culinary school in Paris and worked for Alain Passard at L'Arpège. As head chef at L'Agapè in Paris, he earned his first star in 2009, before he turned 30.

In 2011, he opened Septime together with Théophile Pourriat in the 11th arrondissement, far from the districts where Paris's star restaurants had traditionally been located. When Pourriat announced Grébaut's death on Instagram, he called him his best friend, business partner and brother.

A new kind of French gastronomy

Septime became one of the symbols of what is often called bistronomy: seasonal produce of the highest quality, served without the formal apparatus that for a long time belonged to top French gastronomy. The restaurant was awarded its star in 2014 and has featured on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, ranking 11th in 2024 and 40th in 2025.

Michelin describes a surprise menu featuring a modern, slightly creative cuisine where vegetables dominate and the raw ingredients take centre stage. The preparation is described as precise, well-seasoned and uncomplicated. The guest leaves the choice to the kitchen.

The room: glass, wood and steel beams

The dining room looks like an old workshop. Michelin describes a large workshop-style glass panel, raw wooden tables and exposed metal beams. The service is relaxed and informal.

It is a room for those who want to eat food of a high standard without dressing up. That exact combination has been Septime's signature since it started.

Clamato, Tapisserie and the house in the country

Around Septime, Grébaut and Pourriat built a small family of addresses. Clamato serves fish and seafood, Septime La Cave is a wine bar, and Tapisserie is a pâtisserie. In Perche, west of Paris, they opened D'une île, an inn with dining and rooms.

Anyone who can't get a table at Septime can start at one of the sister addresses.

Eastern Paris around Charonne

Rue de Charonne runs from Bastille out towards eastern Paris, through a neighbourhood of small shops, cafés and old workshops. More about Paris can be found in VERA PI's Paris guide, and the kitchen where Grébaut trained is portrayed in our story on Arpège and Alain Passard.

How to get a table at Septime

Bookings are only made online and open at ten o'clock every morning. Be ready when it opens and have a couple of alternative dates. The menu is a surprise, so mention any allergies or small things you don't eat when you book.