Derrière

Verdict: A Michelin-recognised modern kitchen in Metz that earns its reputation at mid-range prices

Derrière holds a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, which in practical terms means Michelin's inspectors found the cooking consistently good enough to flag without pinning a star to it. At the €€ price point, that is a meaningful credential: you are getting food that cleared a serious quality bar without paying the premium that comes with Metz's pricier modern tables. If you are planning a special occasion dinner in Metz and want a venue where the kitchen takes the meal as seriously as you do, Derrière is worth booking. It is not the boldest or most ambitious room in the city, but it is one of the most reliably solid at its price tier.

Portrait

Derrière sits at 17 Rue de la Chèvre in central Metz, a short walk from the cathedral quarter. The address places it squarely in the old city, where stone-fronted buildings and narrow streets frame the approach. The cuisine is classified as modern, which in a mid-price French context typically means a menu that respects classical technique while making room for seasonal shifts and contemporary plating. This is not a venue trying to reinvent anything; it is trying to execute well, and based on its consecutive Michelin Plate recognition, it does.

For a special occasion, the €€ positioning is one of Derrière's strongest arguments. Anniversary dinners, birthday meals, or business dinners where you want the setting to signal effort without the bill signalling excess all land well here. You are not walking into a white-tablecloth austerity exercise or a noisy bistro where the conversation gets buried. The modern cuisine format gives the meal enough structure to feel like an occasion without making it feel like a formal endurance event.

The timing question matters here. Metz is a cathedral city with a measurable tourist and student population, and the rhythm of a mid-week dinner will be quieter and more deliberate than a Friday or Saturday service. If your priority is atmosphere and energy, the weekend is the right call. If your priority is attentive service and a table that does not feel rushed, Tuesday through Thursday tends to reward you in venues of this type. For a genuinely late dinner, it is worth confirming with the venue directly since hours are not published, but French modern restaurants in this tier typically run late sittings on Friday and Saturday that extend well past 9 PM, making them viable for post-theatre or post-event dining.

The Michelin Plate, awarded in consecutive years, tells you something specific: this is not a one-year anomaly. The 2025 retention of the Plate means the kitchen has maintained its standard across a full additional year of service. For a mid-range modern restaurant in a regional French city, that kind of consistency is more meaningful than a single-year flourish. Across the wider context of French modern cuisine, venues carrying this credential sit in good company alongside destinations like Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern and Bras in Laguiole on the broader Michelin map of France, though Derrière is operating at a very different price tier and scale. The point is that Michelin's regional coverage in France is thorough, and earning a Plate in consecutive years in a city like Metz is not handed out as a courtesy.

Google rating of 4.5 across 799 reviews adds a second independent data layer. A 4.5 average at nearly 800 reviews is harder to sustain than at 100 reviews, because the sample size absorbs bad nights, off-service weeks, and the inevitable one-star outliers. It suggests the experience is broadly consistent across different diner types and different nights of the week, not just polished for critics.

On the late-night dimension: Derrière's mid-range positioning and modern cuisine format make it a plausible choice for an evening that starts elsewhere. If you are in Metz for the evening and want a proper meal rather than a quick plate, venues in this category typically allow you to book a late sitting on weekend evenings and run the full menu through a later service window. That is the more practical option for anyone arriving after 8:30 PM. Cross-reference with our full Metz bars guide if you want to map the full evening before or after dinner.

The one practical gap here is that booking details, hours, and the specific menu format are not published in this record. Book directly through the venue at 17 Rue de la Chèvre or ask your hotel concierge to call ahead. Given a 4.5 Google score and Michelin visibility, tables on Friday and Saturday evenings will fill faster than mid-week. Booking is classified as easy at this venue, but that does not mean walk-in at 8 PM on a Saturday is reliable. Give yourself at least a week's notice for weekend sittings around public holidays or during the summer season when Metz's tourism traffic increases. For the wider dining picture in Metz, see our full Metz restaurants guide.

If you want to anchor a longer trip around serious French cooking and are curious how Metz compares to the broader circuit, the northeast of France connects reasonably to venues like Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris or, heading into the Alps, Flocons de Sel in Megève. Derrière is not in that league on ambition or price, but for what it is — a credentialed, consistent, mid-range modern table in a city worth visiting — the decision to book is easy to make.

Practical Details

• Address: 17 Rue de la Chèvre, 57000 Metz, France
• Price range: €€ (mid-range)
• Cuisine: Modern Cuisine
• Awards: Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025
• Google rating: 4.5 / 5 (799 reviews)
• Booking difficulty: Easy , advance notice recommended for weekends
• Leading for: Special occasions, date nights, business meals
• Hours: Not published , confirm directly with the venue

How It Compares

FAQ

Is Derrière good for a special occasion?

• Yes , Derrière is a solid choice for a birthday, anniversary, or business dinner in Metz. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 signals consistent kitchen quality, and the €€ price point means you get a credentialed, occasion-appropriate meal without paying the premium of a starred table. Compare it to La Lanterne (€€€) if you want a more formal room, or Le Jardin de Bellevue (€€€) if setting and surroundings matter as much as the plate.

Is Derrière worth the price?

• At €€, yes. A Michelin Plate at this price tier means you are getting quality-checked cooking without the cost of a starred room. For value comparison, La Réserve (also €€) sits at the same price point in the modern cuisine category, so if you are choosing between the two, Derrière's consecutive Plate recognition gives it a verifiable edge. 83 Restaurant (€€, Italian) is the better call if you want something less formal.

Is the tasting menu worth it at Derrière?

• Specific menu formats are not published for Derrière, so we cannot confirm whether a tasting menu is offered. What the Michelin Plate tells you is that the kitchen is capable of serious, structured cooking. If you are looking for a confirmed multi-course format in Metz, ask the venue directly when booking. For reference, modern cuisine restaurants in the €€ bracket in France typically offer both à la carte and a set menu at lunch or dinner , worth clarifying at reservation.

What should a first-timer know about Derrière?

• Book ahead for weekends , despite easy booking classification, a 4.5 Google score at 799 reviews means the room stays full. The venue is at 17 Rue de la Chèvre in central Metz, walkable from the cathedral area. Hours are not confirmed in public listings, so call or email to lock in your sitting time, especially if you are planning a late dinner. The cuisine is modern French at a mid-range price, making it approachable rather than intimidating. Check our full Metz restaurants guide to map alternatives before you arrive.

Can I eat at the bar at Derrière?

• Bar seating details are not confirmed in available data. French modern restaurants at this tier sometimes offer counter or bar dining, but it is not standard practice across the category. Contact Derrière directly to ask , if bar seats exist, they are often the easiest route to a same-evening table on a night you have not pre-booked. For Metz's broader bar options to pair with an evening that starts or ends elsewhere, see our full Metz bars guide.