The Complete Works of Le Chateaubriand (2006–2026)

This is the story of Le Chateaubriand, the Paris bistro that broke every rule fine dining had. In 2006, Inaki Aizpitarte and Frédéric Peneau took over a humble, century-old bistro in Paris’ 11th arrondissement. Untucked shirts, stubble, blaring music, a photocopied piece of paper as a menu: punk star chef Inaki and his disciples triggered a tsunami of gastronomic insurrection, launching ‘bistronomy’ and its devious subculture. Le Chateaubriand, originally published in French in 2024 and now translated into English by Florence Beretta and Christine Muhlke, is a memorialisation of their labyrinthine quest for adventure, experimentation, and a really good time.

Inside, a chorus of your favourite chefs’ favourite chefs, critics, regulars, and fundamental players document the uncanny dishes, drunk escapades, Michelin stars, and one-star reviews of a restaurant so notorious the conformists loosened their buttons for it.

As Inaki bows out, two decades later, he leaves behind a mythical record of an indisputable marathon to achieve something unheard of in the 2000s kitchen: freedom. At Le Chateaubriand, the customer is not always right.

About Inaki Aizpitarte
Chef Inaki Aizpitarte, the son of Basque immigrants, grew up in Besançon and Bordeaux in the south of France. In 1999, at the age of 27, he travelled to Tel Aviv where he began washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen and discovered his passion for cooking. He moved to Paris in the early 2000s, where he worked at various establishments across the city, including Le Petit Marguery, La Fourchette des Anges, Ishtar Café, Le Café des Délices, La Famille in Montmartre, and Le Baratin. He then helped launch the restaurant at the MAC VAL contemporary art museum in Vitry-sur-Seine.

In 2006, he opened Le Chateaubriand at 129 Avenue Parmentier. His second venture, Le Dauphin, opened in 2010, two doors down from Le Chateaubriand. More recently, he opened Petit Grill Basque, this time in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, in the French Basque Country. Over the years, Aizpitarte has become widely regarded as the ‘godfather of bistronomy’, helping to redefine the Parisian dining scene through his distinctive, informal approach to fine dining.

Published by Apartamento Publishing S.L.
Release date: September 30, 2026
Dimensions: 168 x 243mm
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 384
ISBN: 978-84-09-89972-2