A cook’s apron under the Dome of the Palais de l’Institut de France: the image marks a turning point for French culture. Chef **Guy Savoy** has just been installed at the **Académie des beaux-arts**, becoming the first chef to join this institution where architects, painters and musicians sit. For him, this moment is a “pantagruelic honor”. And it’s not the only first time that day.
Elected on November 13, 2024 to chair V of the free members section, succeeding financier Michel David-Weill, Guy Savoy was officially received on Wednesday May 20 under the Dome. At the end of the session, businessman Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière presented him with his academic sword, sealing recognition that goes beyond the stars of the **Michelin Guide**.
Guy Savoy, first chef to enter the Academy of Fine Arts
The installation session, broadcast live on the Academy’s YouTube channel, places the 72-year-old chef in the history of the **Institut de France**. A member of the free members section, he joins a chair hitherto reserved for profiles from finance or patronage. The presence of Guy Savoy marks the official entry of **French gastronomy** into the circle of fine arts.
On the Quai de Conti, the symbol is strong: its **Restaurant Guy Savoy**, installed since 2015 at the **Monnaie de Paris**, is located just a few meters from the Academy. Those who always start their days in the kitchen can, at 2 p.m., cross the street to attend academic sessions, between artists, writers and composers.
“A pantagruelian honor”: what the Academy represents for Guy Savoy
Questioned by AFP, the chef sums up the intimate upheaval that this election represents: “I who have been feeding the guests for 57 years, here, it is me who is being fed”, he confides, speaking of a “pantagruelic honor”. A lover of arts and letters, he quotes Guy de Maupassant and George Sand, before recalling that high culture “has celebrated cuisine for decades and it is time to take notice.” France 3 underlines this desire to have cooking recognized as an art in its own right.
This moment also closes an older wound. Guy Savoy remembers: “As soon as I knew how to read, write and count, I was deeply bored, I needed something concrete and instantaneous.” He continues: “At this moment, everything comes back to me: the contempt of the teachers, the shame I felt for my desire to cook.” An anecdote marked him, the one where he took off his stained jacket to go get lemons at the grocery store, for fear of being judged.
From Bourgoin-Jallieu to the fine arts: the journey of a “simple innkeeper”
Son of a gardener and a restaurateur, Guy Savoy grew up in **Bourgoin-Jallieu** in Isère, in a world already geared towards the table. He started as a master chocolatier before joining the **Frères Troisgros** in Roanne, where he became friends with Bernard Loiseau. In 1980, at the age of 27, he won his first star. His restaurant opened near the Champs-Élysées, then moved to Las Vegas, to Caesars Palace, in 2006.
In 2015, the **Restaurant Guy Savoy** took up residence at the Monnaie de Paris, with a view of the Seine. His cuisine remains classic but precise, with signatures like artichoke soup with black truffle and flaky brioche. “Perhaps what characterizes me is generosity,” he explains to France 3. He extends this principle to the trolley of unlimited sweets. Its establishment inspired the setting of the Disney film *Ratatouille*. In this den of artists, intellectuals and foreign dignitaries, he nevertheless insists: “It is not a place of power. It is a civilized place”, ensuring that he sees himself as “a simple innkeeper”.
This academic recognition comes after the demotion of its restaurant by the **Michelin Guide** in 2023, with the loss of the third star. A decision that he describes as “A simple incident in life”. The international guide **La Liste** continues to rank “Guy Savoy” as “the best restaurant in the world”, based on reviews from critics and customers. Between Coupole, lost macaron and world titles, the chef displays the same line: putting the shocks into perspective, clinging to the long term and the place of cuisine in culture.
Guy Savoy Academy of Fine Arts: frequently asked questions
Why is Guy Savoy’s entry into the Academy of Fine Arts historic?
Guy Savoy becomes the first chef admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts, a central institution of the Institut de France. His installation establishes gastronomy as a recognized art in the same way as painting, music or architecture.
What chair does Guy Savoy occupy at the Academy of Fine Arts?
Elected on November 13, 2024, Guy Savoy sits in chair V of the free members section, succeeding Michel David-Weill. This section welcomes personalities who make a major contribution to artistic and cultural life.
Where is the Guy Savoy Restaurant located in Paris?
The Guy Savoy Restaurant has been located at the Monnaie de Paris since 2015, on the Quai de Conti, with a view of the Seine. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Academy of Fine Arts.
How does Guy Savoy react to the loss of his third Michelin star?
Demoted in 2023, Guy Savoy describes this decision as “A simple incident in life”. His restaurant remains ranked “best restaurant in the world” by the La Liste guide, which aggregates reviews from critics and customers.
What is Guy Savoy’s cooking philosophy?
Guy Savoy highlights classic, precise and warm cuisine. He sums up his identity with the phrase “Perhaps what characterizes me is generosity”, visible in particular in his trolley of sweets offered at will at the end of the meal.
