For decades, Les Grandes Tables du Monde has existed as the silent, somewhat dusty velvet lining of the gastronomic establishment. Founded as the ultimate arbiter of the "grand house" and the sacred liturgy of silver service, the association has long been content to let the noisy, modern list-makers—the Michelin inspectors, the 50 Best voters, the aggressive data-crunchers of La Liste, and the new-guard hype of The Best Chef Awards—carve up the world into rankings and percentages.
But lately, the sleeping giant has awakened with a sharp appetite for disruption. Since last year, starting with its "Rencontres" series in Brussels, Munich, and Athens, the association has been shaking off its quiet prestige to reclaim the narrative from the settled world of rankings.
On 13 April 2026, they are throwing a celebratory grenade into the status quo with ‘Momentum’. This is a logistical stunt of terrifying proportions: 38 of the planet’s most decorated chefs, collectively wielding 76 Michelin stars, will abandon their carefully curated fortresses for a single, unscripted evening. Spanning 13 countries and 19 simultaneous dinners, this is a deliberate rejection of the ‘rigid perfection’ of the grand house in favour of what David Sinapian, the association’s president, calls ‘creative friction’. It is a high-stakes experiment where titans of the industry abandon the safety of their signature repertoires to enter into a dialogue with strangers, proving that haute cuisine is a living, breathing art form in constant, frantic motion rather than a museum piece.
The list of participants
Momentum isn't about the homogeneity of a global brand; it is a shared global gesture born of a desire to see whether the world’s greatest cooks can find a common language when the usual PR-managed scripts are set aside. A kind of modern ambition map, stretching from the street-smart elegance of Singapore to the high-altitude refinement of Megève.
While the majority of this kinetic energy will hit on that Monday, April 13th, the ripples extend from the 11th to the 15th of April:
- 11 April:
Gonzalo Aramburu (Aramburu) hosts Ilario Mosconi (Mosconi) in Buenos Aires. - 13 April:
Louis-Philippe Vigilant (Le Relais Bernard Loiseau) welcomes Thijs Vervloet (Maison Colette) in Saulieu
Jérôme Ferrer (Europea) hosts Jarno Eggen (De Groene Lantaarn) in Montreal
Éric Fernez (D’Eugénie à Émilie) pairs with Anthony Genovese (Il Pagliaccio) in Baudour
David Martin (La Paix) hosts Nino Di Costanzo (Dani Maison) in Anderlecht
Christophe Hay (Fleur de Loire) meets Andrea Migliaccio (L’Olivo) in Blois
Domenico Candela (Restaurant George) hosts Cédric Deckert (La Merise) in Naples
Marcel Ravin (Blue Bay) welcomes Arnaud Bignon (Spondi) in Monte Carlo
Cyril Molard (Ma Langue Sourit) hosts Christophe Bacquié (Le Mas Les Eydins) in Luxembourg
Jeroen Achtien (Inter Scaldes) welcomes Andrea Aprea (Andrea Aprea) in Kruiningen
Nicolas Masse (Grand’Vigne) hosts Jan Hartwig (Jan) in Martillac
Pierre Résimont (L’Eau Vive) hosts Julien Royer (Odette) in Liernu
Emmanuel Renaut (Flocons de Sel) welcomes Chris Salans (Mozaic) in Megève
Kirk Westaway (JAAN) hosts Stefan Heilemann (Widder Restaurant) in Singapore - 14 April:
Viki Geunes (Zilte) hosts Kazuyuki Tanaka (Racine) in Antwerp
Lionel Rigolet (Comme Chez Soi) welcomes Olivier Bellin (Auberge des Glazicks) in Brussels - 15 April:
Jocelyn Herland (Plaza Athénée) hosts Enrico Bartolini in Paris
Practicalities
Date: 11-15.04.2026
Location: Globally
Reservations: must be made directly with the participating host restaurants.
Les Grand Tables du Monde website