The last of Jean-Robert de Cavel’s restaurants is closing its doors. Le Bar a Boeuf, the French bistro in East Walnut Hills, will close for good on Aug. 1.
The bistro opened in March 2015 as part of a long string of restaurants from Jean-Robert, Cincinnati’s most famous chef.
Jean-Robert began his Queen City career in 1993, when he moved here from France to take over The Maisonette, which was the city’s most famous restaurant at the time and eventually garnered a Five-Star rating from the Mobil Travel Guide, now known as the Forbes Travel Guide, under his control. Afterward, he operated, opened or owned several restaurants across the city, including but not limited to — deep breath here — Pigall’s, French Crust, JeanRo Bistro, Frenchie Fresh, Twist, Chalk, Jean-Robert’s Table, Restaurant L, Pho Paris, Greenup Cafe, Lavomatic Cafe and Le Bar a Boeuf.
His cooking was renowned across the globe and was heavily influential to Cincinnati’s culinary scene at large — during de Cavel’s peak, it almost seemed as if every popular spot in the city was a French or French-inspired restaurant. Over the course of his career, he was a four-time James Beard nominee and was named a Master Chef by Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. Without Jean-Robert’s work, fine dining in Cincinnati would not be what it is today.
Jean-Robert de Cavel passed away on December 23, 2022, from leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Since then, Cincinnati’s love for French food has faded; it felt like you used to be able to find a bistro on every block, but now the only two prominent French restaurants in the city are Luca Bistro in Mount Adams and Colette in Over-the-Rhine. Yet despite the last of his restaurants closing, Jean-Robert’s influence can still be felt all over the city. Many of Cincinnati’s biggest names got their start under his tutelage.
Molly Wellmann, the city’s bartender queen, had never poured a drink before he hired her; David Falk, the chef/owner of Boca, Sotto and Nada, got his start in The Maisonette’s kitchen; Jared Bennett, current owner/operator of Hi-Dive, worked with Jean-Robert at Chalk; Jean-Francois Flechet, owner of Taste of Belgium, got the idea for his famous waffles from working at Pho Paris; Daniel Wright, owner/chef of Abigail Street, Senate and Holiday Spirits, crafted cocktails at Twist when he moved back to Cincinnati; Richard Barlion, owner of the popular Barlion’s Seafood and Poultry stand inside Findlay Market, worked at more Jean-Robert restaurants than you can count. The list goes on and on.
Suffice it to say, while Jean-Robert’s restaurants may be gone, his influence on Cincinnati’s culinary scene isn’t and never will be. Guests who want to experience his recipes one final time have until the end of the month to head to Le Bar a Boeuf by making a reservation here.
