Lyons. At 26, Baptiste Pignol is the new captain of the Brasserie des Confluences –
Text: Morgan Couturier – Cradled for 8 years by the Pignol teams under the control of Guy Lassausaie, the Brasserie des Confluences now breathes to the rhythm of the recipes concocted by Baptiste Pignol. Promoted to manager of this beautiful house, the young man says he is ready to take up the challenge.
This is surely the greatest paradox of the place. The Musée des Confluences sits enthroned along the A7, without its singular shapes being missed, while the adjacent Brasserie still suffers from a lack of visibility. And yet, admirer of the establishment nestled on the edge of an illuminated pool, one to attract. And whet your appetite. This is the whole mission of Baptiste Pignolchef’s shoulder Matyas Feillenspromoted to master aboard this ship with a hundred seats.
“I wanted to challenge myself. It’s what makes me live. It’s a risk taking, but today we are masters of ourselves. We do a little more what we want”, evokes the young 26-year-old cook, in reference to these eight years spent in collaboration with Guy Lassausaie, the latter signing the cards, when the Pignol team managed the service. Captured by its establishments, in particular the restaurant Bubble de Fourvière, which is sold out until January 2023, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France has therefore passed the hand.
Seasonal products and menus changed every three months
So make way for Baptiste Pignol and his timeless hats, whose career in various starred restaurants (Ritz Paris with Nicolas Salethen New York with Daniel Boulud in particular) suggests a certain continuity in the quality of the dishes. “We want to stay in this high-end brasserie side,” he says, cutting short the ideas of event cuisine. And for good reason, the gastronome wants to have fun, to take advantage of the setting and its special atmosphere to offer gourmet dishes, made with seasonal products, and accessible (at noon, the menu starter, main course + dessert is sold 29 €).
While waiting to cook white truffles for the holidays, Baptiste Pignol therefore hopes to perform and increase the attractiveness of this oh so attractive site, while stimulating the activity of the family business, now relieved of the heavy concession of Eurexpo* . “We are going to create recipes that we can apply to events. There is a feasible complementarity. The restaurant is incredible, but also a real place of experimentation”, recalls the cook. Youth is the secret of the future. That of the Brasserie des Confluences now goes by a name: Baptiste Pignol.
*The company C-Gastronomie will succeed the Maison Pignol