Opening Le Bistrot de JAN in Cape Town
Every so often, there are moments in life that form the closing of a circle. Opening Le Bistrot de JAN in Cape Town is one of those moments for me.
I recall standing at the bar of what is now the InterContinental Table Bay, where I tasted my very first French cognac as a young chef. I was wide-eyed, curious, and full of dreams about faraway kitchens in unfamiliar cities. That sip carried me across oceans, and returning to this exact place years later is deeply sentimental. Now, a year after opening Le Bistrot de JAN in Nice, bringing the Bistro to Cape Town is more than an opening. It’s a homecoming.
Le Bistrot de JAN has always lived in that space between nostalgia and excitement. When we opened the original Bistro in Nice, it was born from my love of classic French cooking and a nod to a more youthful self. I wanted to present food that is generous and comforting, yet steeped in technique and tradition. Bringing that spirit back to Cape Town felt only natural. This city has fuelled so much of who I am as a chef: its energy, its warmth, its produce, and its people. And now, we have created the meeting spot of where French elegance meets South African soul, which is a combination that mirrors my own journey in the culinary world.
Working alongside Executive Chef Giles Edwards, we set out to create a menu that balances refinement with authenticity. You’ll find French bistro classics sitting comfortably alongside local influence, such as West Coast oysters with mignonette, pastis-steamed mussels with bacon and parsley, and pickled octopus to begin. In the same spirit of the Bistro in Nice, which aims for a relaxed dining experience, we have created shared centrepieces inspired by long lunches along the French Riviera: tourte au poulet with truffle sauce, couscous royal layered with lamb, and a glorious steak florentine with frites and wedge salad. We invite guests to linger in our cheese room, and to enjoy desserts that spark a distinct French-South African comfort.
Beyond the food, I wanted this bistro to feel alive. The bar hums with conversation and live music sets the rhythm of the experience. Le Bistrot de JAN is a place to share the special moments during lunch overlooking the harbour, order spontaneous martinis, and bask in laughter rising over shared plates. To stand here now, at the Waterfront, looking out over the Atlantic with Table Mountain rising behind us, I feel only gratitude. It is an homage to the road that led me here, and to the teams of people who brought this dream to life. The opening of Le Bistro de JAN is a return to where the dreaming began.