Antoine Beauvilliers

Antoine B. Beauvilliers (1754 – 31 January 1817) was a French restaurateur who opened the first grand restaurant in Paris[1] and wrote the cookbook L'Art du Cuisinier.

[2] Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin considers him the most important of the early restaurateurs, as "he was the first to have an elegant dining room, handsome well-trained waiters, a fine cellar and a superior kitchen.

[6] Of humble parentage, Beauvilliers worked his way up from kitchen boy to become the chef of Monsieur, the Count of Provence and future King Louis XVIII.

[7] The restaurant was intended for a wealthy and aristocratic clientele; it had tables made of mahogany, crystal chandeliers, and tablecloths of fine linen, an extensive wine cellar, and elegantly-dressed waiters.

[8] Dishes on the restaurant menu included partridge with cabbage, veal chops grilled in buttered paper, and duck with turnips.