Born in the Haute Loire in 1967, François Gagnaire knows from a very young age that he will be a cook. He began his apprenticeship at the Ecole Hôtellière in Saint-Chély-d’Apcher in Lozère and made his arms alongside great chefs such as Alain Chapel, whom he described as “a very, very great cook and a man of heart, too soon disappeared”, Pierre Gagnaire with whom he worked in his three houses and whom he considers as” certainly the greatest artist of contemporary cuisine, extremely sensitive “, or Guy Lassausaie and Philippe Chavent. His enriching experiences give Francis a certain maturity and the desire to fly on his own.

In November 2001, he returned to his native region of Haute Loire, which he loved so much, and opened his first gourmet restaurant on the first floor of the Hôtel du Parc ****, with his wife Isabelle, whose management he also managed. In this mecca of gastronomy, François was rewarded with a star in the Michelin Guide in 2006 and receives in 2009 the title of Knight of the Medal of the National Order of Merit. A chain of honor that comforts him and pushes him to climb even higher. After fourteen years in his establishment, François dreamed of a new adventure, a new challenge that he will find by becoming the Executive Chef of the Hotel of the Collector-Arc de Triomphe ***** in Paris. This enriching experience will allow him to rediscover the Parisian scene and confirm his choice of a new installation in the capital. At the end of November 2015, François wrote a new chapter to his culinary history with the opening of his bistro Anicia, at 97 rue du Cherche Midi in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. This name Anicia was not chosen at random; It is the Latin name of the ancient Roman city of Puy en Velay as well as the name of the Green Lentil of Le Puy, the first AOP legume. In a refined and warm decor, thought and realized by the designer Pascal Michalon, François Gagnaire will allow to offer to the great Paris, a postcard in color and flavors of the Haute Loire and the Auvergne.