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“Freedom, poetry and entrepreneurship are my daily life”
"We often think that creativity in a restaurant is limited to the plate, but it's much broader. You have to create a place where people feel good, a close-knit team, a visual identity, an experience, or even a recipe. That's my job," Juliette says calmly between two courses.
Born in Manosque, the young woman first studied architecture, fascinated by model building and materials. "But I also looked into catering and pastry. And then it became obvious!" continues the woman who joined the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon. A school where she met Samuel Victori. "We then worked in the same establishments. First at Maison Troisgros, our favorite restaurant where we discovered a poetry of goodness and beauty. After two years, the rural setting gave us a desire to travel elsewhere, so we joined Le Bristol in Paris. The palace is another world, very hierarchical, less focused on zero waste and naturalness," adds Juliette. With the arrival of their first child, these lovers of new cuisine decided to create their own address in Nice.
Cultivating tasty combinations
"We happened to pass by this place on Rue Bonaparte and, by late afternoon, we almost had the keys! It all started like this at Les Agitateurs. Then, during Covid, we created Le Garde-manger next door, with a vision of a new-generation caterer and a complete sourcing of products. But we missed serving hot dishes on the spot, the pleasure of welcoming customers for an evening, so we transformed the place into the Pirouette bistro."
Since opening her first restaurant, Juliette's job has evolved a lot: "Today, Samuel is more involved with Les Agitateurs, he creates new dishes and lets me taste them for my opinion, we discuss. I'm usually at lunchtime at Saint-Paul where I manage our restaurant at the Fondation Maeght, and in the evening at Pirouette in the dining room. I had to learn how to lead teams, it wasn't easy for me at first and it was a challenge. When you've made the right choices, things develop naturally, little by little."
The Agitators Group
It's a restaurant that energizes the taste buds. "We opened in 2018 and, at the time, the gastronomic scene was rather dormant in the port district. Our first star in 2 reinforced our decision to offer a unique menu per service," explains Juliette Busetto. Vanilla tomato jelly, fish soup with orange salad, veal with coffee... the restaurant combines French tradition with new combinations. And the recipe has taken off, with a Michelin star. "Today, we're looking for bigger to move forward, even if we'd like to keep this place too." To taste Mediterranean cuisine with a simple and vibrant twist, also visit the magical setting of the restaurant Sous les Pins in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, or Pirouette in Nice, for tastings combining comforting French cuisine and flavors from elsewhere.
