Thélème, Bringing Utopia to Life
La Scène Thélème partly owes its name to Rabelais and his famous utopia. Thélème refers to the Abbey of Thélème, an imaginary place where freedom, pleasure and the art of living guided everyday life — where people rose, ate, worked and rested according to their own desires. Inspired by this philosophy, La Scène Thélème was conceived as a refuge for bon vivants and lovers of simple, sincere pleasures.
The name evokes a setting where gastronomy takes center stage, engaging both the senses and the emotions. A place dedicated to sharing, to taste, and to the pleasure of the table, where cuisine becomes a true experience.
The Path of the Dreaming Gourmet
“La Scène Thélème is the journey of a lifetime. In a world where everything is not always easy, I have always wanted to make my own contribution by creating a place that feels welcoming, convivial, and positive.”
In the late 1970s, Jean-Marie Gurné joined Nestlé with a clear plan in mind: to spend three years there before returning to his two enduring passions — gastronomy and the art of hospitality. What was meant to be a short chapter ultimately became a 37-year journey, while a long-held dream quietly matured in the background.
That dream came to life in 2016 with the creation of La Scène Thélème, a place designed for sharing, where Jean-Marie could finally express his love for fine cuisine and beautiful things, in a warm and generous setting.
Naturalness
Drawing inspiration from nature and the rhythm of the four seasons
Exceptional Quality
We offer wonderful products that inspire Chef Yoshi: vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit, meat, fish, and shellfish in cooperation with small local producers and likeminded lovers of the terroir
A Free Kitchen
We take inspiration from the nature that surrounds us in France as well as from the flavors of the Land of the Rising Sun by blending French and Japanese cuisine
The man of the house
Born in Saumur, in the heart of the Pays de la Loire region, Chef Rudy Langlais studied at the University of Angers. Driven by a pursuit of excellence, he went on to join the brigade of Alain Ducasse at Le Meurice**, where he refined his culinary craft and mastered the codes of fine dining. It was there that he met Chef Yoshitaka Takayanagi, with whom his appreciation for Japanese cuisine deepened. They later worked together at Agapé* and at La Scène Thélème, collaborating for seven years.
In harmony with the identity of the restaurant, Rudy Langlais expresses a precise and sensitive culinary vision, guided by the rhythm of the seasons. Pure and minimalist, his cuisine pays tribute to the quality of local produce, elevated through signature dishes that subtly blend Japanese and French influences.
Chef Rudy Langlais