Our 1-star Michelin restaurant in Fontainebleau
A Michelin-starred restaurant in the heart of Fontainebleau, L’Axel delivers the ultimate fine dining experience.
The restaurant’s chef, Kunihisa Goto, revisits traditional French cooking with a subtle Japanese twist.
An inspiring journey
Kunihisa Goto was born in Japan and left the country after studying at the Sakuragaoka Cookery School in Oita, in the south of the island. Fascinated by fine dining and the extraordinary food and drink for which France is renowned, including truffles, foie gras and cheese, he soon discovered a passion for wine.
After working alongside Jacques Decoret in Vichy, his career took him from one wine-growing region to another: first he worked alongside another MOF, Philippe Etchebest, as his sous-chef and a member of the team at L’Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint-Emilion when the restaurant was awarded its second star, forming an impressive culinary partnership with the famous chef.
He then moved from the Bordeaux region to Burgundy to work at L’Hostellerie du Cèdre in Beaune; in his first year, he was awarded 3 toques by the Gault & Millau® guide, which also named him as a “Young Talent of Burgundy”. After just a year as chef at L’Axel, opened in 2012 with Vanessa Blondeau in Fontainebleau, he was awarded his first highly coveted Michelin star.
Inventive cuisine
Kunihisa Goto’s creative cuisine subtly reinvents traditional French dishes by incorporating ingredients from his homeland. The chef is also inspired by Japanese cooking techniques and recipes, such as the Onsen egg, one of L’Axel’s iconic dishes: a steamed egg, with an almost transparent white and a runny yolk.
In the kitchen, the chef is inspired by nature: adapting to the changing seasons and sourcing local produce have always been a matter of course for him. His dishes also reflect a focus on visual appeal and aesthetics.
As a discerning wine enthusiast, the chef was keen to offer his diners an impressively wide-ranging wine list.
Vanessa Blondeau, joint manager, created the incredible wine list for which L’Axel is renowned.
Together, they have opened two other addresses, Fuumi, a traditional Japanese brasserie and L’A Pâtisserie KG, next door to L’Axel.
A simple, elegant atmosphere
Dishes are stylish and visually appealing, while the dining room’s décor is inspired by Japanese culture.
Behind an elegant brass façade, dimmed lights create a subtle, soothing atmosphere. On the walls, artwork by Taka Mizukami, a Japanese painter who lives in France and works with natural powders, adds to the room’s wonderfully understated feel.