In 1880, a modest café opened in the Opéra neighbourhood of Paris. Its owner, Charles Drouant of Alsace, nurtured the ambition to turn it into a restaurant. A real visionary, he was one of the first to propose oysters in the capital, caught fresh and delivered weekly by his brother-in-law, an oyster farmer in Brittany. Success was instantaneous, and Parisian high society crowded in to relish the bounty of the sea. One of the intellectuals who turned up regularly was Edmond de Goncourt (1822-1896), posthumous founder of the Academy bearing his name. Before electing domicile at Drouant, the ten members of this literary society, all fans of good food, first met up at the Grand Hôtel, the Champeaux, then the Café de Paris. Finally, on October 31st, 1914, nine years after the First Prize was awarded to John-Antoine Nau for his novel "Force ennemie", the restaurant – renowned for its gastronomy – hosted their first meeting. Since then, the jury has met in the Salon Goncourt for lunch and to deliberate, comfortably installed in designated armchairs. Gilt-edged cutlery, also engraved in their names, and those of their predecessors, have been attributed to them since 1961, recalling the 40 seats in the Académie Française. "This nuance helps to prove just how much the academics of Place Gaillon see themselves as pals in etymological terms: those who break bread together," explains Goncourt Prize President, Roland Dorgelès.

110 years later, the announcement of the happy prize-winner always rings out from the steps of the iconic Art Deco stairway, followed by that of the Renaudot Prize - created in 1926 by a group of writers weary of the interminable wait before the Goncourt verdict. Owned by the Drouant family until the 1970's, the restaurant has since changed hands several times. Its kitchens have been run by Louis Grondard who won two stars in the Michelin Guide, then Antoine Westermann who won three stars in Alsace, before the restaurant became the property of the Gardinier brothers in 2018. Today, the talented Chef Romain Van Thienen is in charge of the ovens. In November 2023, the Renaudot Prize was awarded to Ann Scott for her novel "Les Insolents" and the Goncourt Prize to Jean-Baptiste Andrea for his novel, "Veiller sur elle". Which has taken its place on the prestigious shelves of the Library on the first floor, containing all the prize-winning works in their original editions.