One of the fancier meals we ate during our recent trip to Paris…read more
Our tween wanted to eat here as this was the restaurant where Napoleon proposed to Josephine; we indulged her because we wanted to experience fine dining in the country that invented the Michelin star.
We arrived on the dot for our 7 pm reservation, and were graciously welcomed. They took my jacket and our backpack - and we were happy to be seated after several hours on our feet at the nearby Louvre museum.
Service was impeccable - we were made to feel welcome and everything was explained to us. We were seated at the Fragonard table, within sight of where Napoleon proposed to Josephine! So far, so good!!
We started with house bread and olive oil, and drinks - mocktails for the girls, a cocktail for the missus, and an old-fashioned for me (they didn't have any of the single malts that I like).
After a lengthy discussion, we decided to go for the three course dinner menu by Chef Guy Martin, plus wine for the adults and soft drinks for the girls.
Here is our verdict:
Starter - Albacore tuna tartare, chia seeds, ginger, avocado and pomegranate.
I loved this, but our tween didn't like it at all - she only ate the pomegranate seeds! Her sister and mother tolerated it.
Entrée - Pan seared duckling filet, black currant polenta and a reduction jus. Our teen and I ordered our duckling rare, the others ordered theirs medium well.
We all enjoyed the meat, except for my wife, who found it quite tough.
One thing we could all agree upon was that the polenta that was served with the duckling was practically inedible.
Dessert - Light mousse of grapefruit, fresh pineapple and Espellete pepper, gingerbread and cognac ice cream.
This was probably the dish we were all looking forward to, and the fact that all three ladies left theirs unfinished tipped this review towards its final 3 star rating.
None of us expected to NOT enjoy dessert at a Michelin star restaurant in the most exclusive part of Paris!
Total bill was €400 (tax and gratuity included), but I tipped them an additional €50 because the service was so exceptional.
Wish the food had been a little more to our liking.