David Toutain

Marc Veyrat has seen several hundred young people come and go through his kitchens. A few have ultimately stood out for their talent, their thirst for learning, and their work ethic: David Toutain is one of them. Born in 1981 in Flers, in the Orne department, and raised on the family farm, he discovered herbs, flowers, and roots at a very early age, before entering the culinary world somewhat by chance.

From Passard to Aduriz: An Extraordinary Apprenticeship

With his vocational diploma in hand, he began his career at the Manoir du Lys in Bagnoles-de-l’Orne under Franck Quinton, then moved on to Bernard Loiseau’s restaurant in Saulieu and La Bourride in Caen. This was followed by three intense years at L’Arpège, working withAlain Passard, who was then in the midst of a vegetable-driven culinary revolution. Pierre Gagnaire, Bernard Pacaud, and once again Marc Veyrat—who refers to him as his spiritual son—followed by a stint in Spain alongside Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz, and a stint at Corton in New York, rounded out his training. In 2011, he opened Agapé Substance in Paris, which caused quite a stir.

Rue Surcouf: A Plant-Based, Globetrotting World

In late 2013, he moved to Rue Surcouf in the^7th arrondissement, where he opened Restaurant David Toutain (4 toques). In a light-filled space with light oak decor, facing the open kitchen, he presents a cuisine inspired by nature—from producers in the Orne region to herbs from the garden—featuring pairings as unexpected as they are natural, such as lobster with fir or veal with meadowsweet. Trained under Marc Veyrat, who considers him his spiritual son, the chef from Normandy creates some of the most imaginative cuisine in Paris. Since 2023, he has also been running Feuille in Hong Kong, his first restaurant outside of France.