Phenomenal contemporary French and Italian restaurant in a cozy, intimate space and outstanding service. I visited Hémicycle for dinner with a friend, and we had a great time here. It's a pretty small space, so, while there were only six or seven other groups dining with us, the restaurant was almost full. That meant the restaurant was pretty quiet, aside from the occasional clang from the open kitchen, and the service was remarkably attentive. There were at least three servers in the dining room at all times, so I didn't see a single glass go unfilled or dish go unbussed for more than 30 seconds over the course of our four-hour meal.
I can't even begin to describe how phenomenal the food was, but suffice it to say that every single bite was outstanding. A few standouts included the beetroot ravioli, which was delightfully earthy and had such a fun contrast of flavors and textures. The ravioli pasta was super tender and thin, and it had a slight snap to it. The warm ravioli was topped with a rich cream-based sauce and cold, refreshing granita. The combination of cold and hot temperatures, sweet, tart, and earthy flavors, and all the different textures was just outstanding.
I loved their romaine for a similar reason. The thought of cooked lettuce felt really odd to me at first, but this dish has convinced me that I need to expand my view of what's possible with food. The braised romaine was remarkably tender and soaked up a ton of flavor from the braising liquid, and it was served in a lemony, garlicy foam. They also added a scoop of a lovely herbaceous sorbet on top, and, just like the beetroot ravioli, this created the most incredible combination of textures, flavors, and temperatures.
All in all, Hémicycle was a delightful place for a fancy or special occasion dinner. I loved the ways they experimented with different textures, flavors, and temperatures to create some of the most unique combinations I've ever seen. read more