A month after receiving his first Michelin star for his restaurant Yozora, located in the heart of the Centre Pompidou in Metz (dedicated to modern and contemporary art), we sat down with Chef Charles Coulombeau. Settled on their beautiful terrace beneath the wooden vaulted ceiling of the museum’s impressive building, we spoke with the chef about this new culinary adventure within a museum setting.
Congratulations on Yozora’s first Michelin star! Was the emotion the same as when you received the star for La Maison dans le Parc (in Nancy)?
Yes, I was absolutely thrilled. Especially since Yozora, unlike our place in Nancy (which they took over from an existing restaurant, editor’s note), was built from the ground up with a completely different concept. We’re extremely happy to be the only Michelin-starred restaurant located in a museum in France.
I grew up immersed in the Michelin world, and when I decided to open Yozora, it was partly because I saw the potential to create a star-worthy restaurant. We’ve also managed to bridge a tricky gap between Umé — a brasserie with an average ticket price of €30 (the cheapest museum restaurant in France, editor’s note) — and a now Michelin-starred fine dining experience. We’re really proud of that.
How do you draw inspiration from the artwork to design your menus?
It took us a little while, but recently, we’ve started integrating a new concept with the dessert course. We place a small ceramic stand on the table featuring a representation of an artwork exhibited in the Pompidou Museum. Then we bring out the dessert that’s inspired by that piece. There’s also a QR code that lets guests learn more about the artwork.
Bringing meaning to the final sweet note of the meal by linking it with the museum is something I find incredible — it’s a subtle reminder of where we are.
Tell us a bit about your working approach at Yozora.
Compared to Nancy, here we serve only 24 guests per evening (versus 60 for lunch and dinner in Nancy), with two menus. Because of the shorter food propositions, we gain precision. There’s also a different level of refinement, everything is very cohesive and flows with a calm rhythm that fits the ambiance of the space.
Also, we wanted to create bespoke tableware for Yozora, with some pieces made by a ceramicist in Nancy, and others coming from Japan and Limoges. Which makes it very unique.
Is it true that you set up the dining room every evening?
Yes, we completely transform the space each night. Guests pass through the Umé brasserie to reach the Yozora dining room, so our front-of-house team changes the entire setup, leaving only a softly lit pathway that leads to the Yozora room (which means “night sky†in Japanese, editor’s note), designed in deep blue and white tones.
I’m very proud of what we’ve created here — especially because Yozora is nothing like our place in Nancy. It’s definitely not just a duplicate.
You’ve been very involved in social projects in Nancy. Have you managed to do something similar in Metz?
Just like we do with Les Restos du Cœur in Nancy, we’re now working with Secours Populaire in Metz. Since opening, we’ve donated 500 liters of soup (made partly from vegetable peelings), compared to 2.5 tons in Nancy in 2024. We’re not doing it for the recognition — it’s about the impact, and we’re really proud of it.
What about other culinary projects?
I often travel to Asia for “takeovers,†where I take over local restaurant’s kitchen. And in June, I’ll be involved in the opening of Polychrome — une table d’assemblage in Reims, by the Champagne house Taittinger. Of course, I also do a lot of four-hands dinners around France. And our food truck Izakaya, which has been running for three years, is still active in Nancy.
Cover picture : Jacqueline Trichard. Other pictures: @RozaSayfullaeva
