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So, do you know Tabata Bonardi? This Brazilian chef who made a mark on the French culinary scene with quite an amazing journey. Born in Rio in 1978, she is now blowing out her 46 candles (yes, I’m calculating, but it helps). At 1.68 meters tall, she does not go unnoticed, neither in the kitchen nor elsewhere. On the personal side, she has kept a rather discreet profile, but we know she has gone through marriages, notably under the name Tabata Mey.
Before drawing her knives in the biggest kitchens, she had started studying medicine. An unexpected turn, right? At 23, she left everything for France and dived body and soul into gastronomy, heading to Lyon, the culinary capital. The apprenticeship was tough but exciting, at the prestigious school that is Institut Bocuse.
Tabata’s career is impressive. While she was spotted in 2010 in Paul Bocuse’s kitchens for the Best Craftsman of France competition (where she earned an honorable semi-final), she truly exploded onto the public scene thanks to Top Chef in 2012, where she finished fourth. A real spotlight for a woman who doesn’t give up.
In 2013, it was a major turning point: she became the first woman to run the kitchens of Marguerite Restaurant, a legendary address run by the Nord Sud group in Lyon, a tribute to Paul Bocuse himself. Imagine the pressure, but she handled it brilliantly, imprinting her delicate and respectful touch on classic French cuisine. Today, after leaving this position at the end of 2023, she is taking time to breathe while already preparing her strong comeback with a new personal project in Lyon.
Tabata Bonardi: a Brazilian star lighting up Lyon’s gastronomy
It’s difficult to summarize Tabata in a few words. This Lyonnaise by adoption, originally from Brazil, has managed to establish herself in a supposedly male-dominated world, that of top-starred restaurants. Her public identity? That of a persistent woman, a passionate one who gave up a career in medicine for the sweet chaos of kitchens. Her story fascinates as much as it inspires.
She is not just a chef, but an explorer of flavors, with a gaze that mixes her Brazilian heritage with French tradition. This subtle blend is what makes all her difference and led her to lead the brigade at Marguerite, a house that owes her today a true culinary signature.
Her journey before playing in the big leagues clearly shows her perseverance. Six years with Nicolas Le Bec, a renowned Lyonnais chef, allowed her to truly make her mark, even before opening her own spot, the T’Maki Shop, in Lyon. That’s where you feel the chef ready to bring a breath of freshness to the local gastronomy.
If we talk about her exploits, it’s impossible to overlook her semi-final at the Best Craftsman of France, or her success in Top Chef 2012. These TV adventures revealed to the general public a chef with incredible charisma, capable of navigating between tradition and modernity with tremendous talent.
From medicine to the stove: an atypical path full of surprises
Can you imagine? This girl was going to study medicine in Rio. And suddenly, she changed course. Step by step, she plunged into the world of cooking, this passion that had been lingering in the back of her mind forever. At 23, pumped up, she arrived in Lyon, entered Institut Bocuse. Not a bad school to change course, you’d say!
But it doesn’t stop there. Tabata didn’t just learn; she also taught at the Institut. Well yeah, she has that something, that pedagogy that masters fear and fatigue. Then she heads to Paris, hones her skills at Ledoyen – a starred restaurant – before returning to her adopted city to start alongside Nicolas Le Bec. That guy worked on his career and it shows when you see how far Tabata has come.
Her time at Paul Bocuse’s is not just luck. Preparing for the Best Craftsman of France competition in this temple of gastronomy is an insane challenge, which she met brilliantly. Semi-finalist is no small feat, I assure you.
This intense period continued with Top Chef in 2012. This kind of reality show, honestly, not everyone can stand out. Tabata did. And there we learn that she can blend creativity and endurance in a media furnace as well as in the kitchen.
Marguerite Restaurant: where Tabata left her culinary mark
When she took over Marguerite Restaurant in October 2013, attention: it was historic. First woman to run a restaurant in the Bocuse universe, she had to juggle the immense pressure of honoring this legacy while putting her own style into it. Not an easy thing to do.
The place, an Art Nouveau jewel in the 8th arrondissement of Lyon, needed a real identity. She got hands-on, proposing a refined, lightened traditional cuisine, restoring the nobility of French classics, but with a touch that stands out. Real work on the product, respect for the local market, and sometimes, exotic touches inherited from Brazil. Nothing less.
Leading a brigade of 20 people is no small feat either. But Tabata manages this with impressive professionalism. This period will remain one of the most intense in her life, even if the last service at the end of 2023 marked her departure. The “mutual agreement” with the Nord Sud group says it all: she served her time, but the flame is still there.
She says she wants to breathe, recharge (and she certainly deserves it), before launching a new, more intimate project in Lyon. A cozy address, for a maximum of 30 covers, a place where cooking will be “a fun,” another side of what she has become. The wait will be long for food lovers.
Highlights of her time at Marguerite Restaurant ✨
- 🍽️ First woman to run a restaurant linked to Paul Bocuse
- 🔥 Highlighting local and exotic products
- 👩🍳 Managing a brigade of 20 cooks
- 🎯 Gained reputation thanks to cuisine that is both traditional and lightened
- 👏 Critical success with a loyal clientele
- 🤝 Ended her adventure by mutual agreement in October 2023
And now? Tabata Bonardi is preparing her big comeback with a fresh breath
So, she’s turning a page, but not to stay stuck in the same place. No. First stop: Brazil. Back to roots for two months at DOM, the temple of Alex Atala, a name that resonates in world gastronomy. Then heading north: Copenhagen. Yes, the new stage is Noma, that Danish restaurant that makes all the chefs in the world dream.
Her goal? To soak up, discover, gather from local producers, and above all, feed her creativity. You sense a deep desire to reconnect, to recharge for her comeback.
Lyon, her adopted city she loves so much, will be the backdrop for her next challenge. The idea? A human-sized restaurant, simple, friendly, where cooking would be real shared happiness, with an opening scheduled for 2026. A way to get back to basics, far from the whirlwind where she has evolved these past years.
And there you go, we should soon talk about Tabata Bonardi again with impatience! Meanwhile, to follow her news, nothing better than a quick visit to Le Figaro or to discover her more detailed biography, Wikipedia remains a classic.
Oh, and regarding recipes, if you want to try a bit of her magic at home, Tabata Bonardi’s cult recipes are really worth a look. Personally, I love her touch with tonka bean — a daring ingredient to twist your sauces, which you can also discover on Régal.
What was Tabata Bonardi’s initial path before cooking?
She started medical studies in Rio before radically changing course to cooking in Lyon, where she joined Institut Bocuse.
What marked her time at Marguerite Restaurant?
She was the first woman to lead a restaurant of the Paul Bocuse group, imposing her style in an emblematic house and managing a large brigade.
Why did Tabata leave Marguerite in 2023?
She wanted to take a break after several intense years, turn a page by mutual agreement with the Nord Sud group, and prepare a new personal project.
What are her current projects?
After a stay in Brazil and an internship at Noma, she is preparing to open a new, more intimate and friendly restaurant in Lyon.
Where to follow Tabata Bonardi’s news?
News is available mainly on Le Figaro, Wikipedia, and various culinary sites like Gala or L’Hôtellerie Restauration.
