What Do Heads of State Eat in France?

A prestigious menu collection reveals state dinner dining habits…

A tantalising collection of more than 4,000 French state dinner menus spanning 155 years of history, from 1868 to 2023, has been sold at auction. The collection, which belonged to chef Christophe Marguin, president of Lyon’s Toques Blanches, reveals details of dinners enjoyed by the likes of Napoleon III, Emperor Hirohito, Nelson Mandela, Saddam Hussein and last year’s meal at Versailles held for King Charles III, which included a Louis XIV- inspired lobster and crab dish and poultry marinaded in champagne.

Then there’s the meal for 23,000 mayors held in the Tuileries Gardens to tie in with the 1900 Universal Exhibition, which involved 7km of tablecloths, 125,000 plates, 600 kitchen staff, 2,200 waiters, two tonnes of salmon and 39,000 battles of wine. The menus were printed on silk or special paper and decorated by artists including Marc Chagall.

From France Today Magazine