“World-Class Chefs at G.H. Mumm: A New Gastronomic Restaurant Opens in France’s Champagne Region”
When you’re a Champagne lover like I am, a trip to the eponymous region’s grand cru vineyards is always a good idea, especially when they’re just an hour by train from Paris. And now, there’s yet another reason to head east from France’s capital city—the new restaurant at the legendary Champagne house G.H. Mumm, where world-class chefs are invited to unleash their culinary creativity inside a historic house never before opened to the public.
The Restaurant
La Table des Chefs, opened May 12, 2023, is housed inside the winery’s recently renovated historic mansion, La Maison Cordon Rouge, which dates to 1827 when the winery was founded. While the house has welcomed diplomats, aristocrats, and other VIPs and invited guests over its nearly 200-year tenure, the restaurant’s opening marks the first time the estate has played host to mere mortals like us.
The concept of the restaurant is novel for the region too, blending haute cuisine and sophisticated cooking technique with the creative freedom of an artist’s residency. Every three months, a well-known or rising-star chef will be invited to Reims and given carte blanche to indulge in culinary whims and wild whisking to imagine and create menus that pair with the seasons, the scenic surroundings of G.H. Mumm’s estate, and the wine.
Diners choose from multi-course menus (that change often) with an optional wine pairing, or can book a more casual Sunday brunch.
The elegant dining room Salon Céladon at La Table des Chefs
The World-Class People of La Table des Chefs
“Maison Mumm is delighted to inaugurate La Table des Chefs, a new gastronomic destination in Reims,” said César Giron, Chairman and CEO of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët. “This is a bold and innovative dining concept of sharing and discovery, taking guests on a gastronomic journey to meet a community of talents.”
The first toque tapped to take over the kitchen at La Table des Chefs is Belgian-born Mallory Gabsi, whose restaurant in Paris’s 17th arrondissement earned him his first Michelin star in March and the title of 2023’s Young Chef of the Year.
“I am happy to be the first to take up the challenge of La Table des Chefs,” said Gabsi. “It’s a project that takes me out of my comfort zone and gives me the opportunity to explore new territories of flavors and create dishes that will be discovered exclusively in Reims.”
Latvian Raimonds Tomsons, named Best Sommelier of the World in 2023, has created the first wine list for La Table des Chef, which will satisfy both amateurs and wine connoisseurs, as well as future chefs in residence. The list includes wines from France and around the world, and of course an extensive selection of vintage G.H. Mumm bubbly.
“Mumm champagnes aren’t just for an aperitif. Their richness and quality make them gastronomic wines and this is what I will try to convey at La Table des Chefs,” he said.
Michelin-starred Mallory Gabsi arrives at La Table des Chefs
The Dining Rooms
Whether you want to plan a romantic weekend, a girlfriends’ getaway to Champagne, or a solo day trip from Paris, make a lunch or dinner reservation ahead of time to savor Gabsi’s refined menus in the Salon Céladon, whose monochromatic color takes its inspiration from Chinese porcelain, or the Salon du Collectionneur, with objects d’art from around the world on display.
There’s also a bar that pours Champagne, of course, as well as a collection of spirits from Pernod-Ricard . G.H. Mumm has been part of the Pernod Ricard group since 2005,
When the weather’s nice, diners can also opt for a seat on the newly created outdoor terrace overlooking the gardens.
G.H. Mumm has 218 hectares of vineyards in Champagne
Visiting the Region
The term “Champagne” isn’t a catch-all for anything sparkling in a glass. It refers to a type of bubbly made according to specific standards (La Méthode Champenoise) within the Champagne region, located northeast of Paris, with the cities of Reims and Epernay often used as a home base.
Reims is easily accessible by train from Paris and a trip can be done in a day. Or stay the night. The area has numerous superb hotels set in the heart of one of France’s most acclaimed wine regions.
If you want to visit certain cellars, an advanced reservation is essential.
Or go with an organized tour and leave the planning to someone else.
Cheers!
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BeSeeingYou In: Champagne
Good to Know: Dining at La Table des Chefs is 3, 4 or 6 courses, or Sunday brunch.
Wow! Factor: G.H. Mumm has nearly 25 kilometres of subterranean cellars.
Tip: Spend some time in the city of Reims, aka “The Coronation City”, where 33 French kings were crowned inside its stunning cathedral.
Author Bios:Kimberley Lovato & Kevin Pilley
Photos courtesy of G.H. Mumm
