France Archives - Page 13 of 15

Le Bacon: Mediterranean fish romance with the French Riviera

Le Bacon is a family restaurant for decades attracting the rich and famous seeking authentic quality on the French Riviera. Those appreciating top quality of wild fish and seafood will spin with euphoria. The signature Biot glass lamps add only a pinch of intimate illumination to each table.
Le Bacon’s proximity to the legendary Hôtel du Cap Eden Roc on the Cap d’Antibes lures a considerate proportion of the hotel’s well-heeled clientele to the restaurant. Bacon’s fish and seafood is better than the meal at the gastronomic restaurant at the Eden-Roc. The dining room is also much more comfortable, friendly and not too formal. Bacon is romantic, relaxed and cosy. Having one of the best views between Cannes and Antibes sets you for a special meal. Overlooking the ancient Antibes port with the rocky Alpes Maritimes in the horizon and to the east, the blue sea of the Baie des Anges (Niçoise Bay of Angels), the vista cannot be more wow!

The family members welcome each guest at the door, ushering all to the table. Everyone feels pampered at Bacon by the attentive staff. For lunch the dress code is more casual, but let the flip-flops on the beach. In the evening, a jacket and women ideally wear an elegant dress or chic pants.

From the Bouillabaisse to local seasonal fish and seafood, most is prepared according to the by years-proven recipes of the family. The current chef creates a new amouse-bouche every evening. In the old best days, Serge Philippin was the chef at the Restaurant de Bacon since 1978, who snapped a star from the Guide Michelin in 1985. Still, Bacon is very good, but not excellent.

From the appetisers my favourites are the refreshing Poisson cru au citron et aux herbes. A thinly sliced delicate white fish marinated softly in lemon juice, olive oil and herbs. After a hot day at the beach this an excellent light starter.

Staying on the lighter side the Fricassée de Langouste tiède à l’estragon is a perfect match to a mineral white Burgundy or toasted Champagne like Krug Grande Cuvée. The crayfish is lightly sautéed with tarragon and served on a bed of green salad with olive oil. Perfectly balanced and delicate.

Also from the warm appetisers and perhaps the most creative is Fricassée de rougets tièdes à l’estragon. The mellow pieces of red mullet are drizzled with tarragon, lettuce, crispy onions, fresh and juicy tomatoes. It is a heavenly dish and one of the best ways of serving red mullet I have had the pleasure to enjoy so far.
A gourmand treat is the Délice de loup aux Truffes du Haut Var. Thin ravioli filled with a super soft mash of sea bass with truffles bathe in a creamy yet light sauce with minced vegetables.

Similar are Ravioles de Langouste dans son fumet. A slight upgrade of the filling, the crayfish is gently cooked in its juice.

For the Foie gras aficionados this in some countries controversial delicacy is served as a pâté typical in French restaurants. Bacon is not only about fish as the produce of the land pops out on the menu.
I mostly get fish, occasionally I steer to seafood when the rare Mediterranean rock lobster is on the daily catch offer.
The fish can be grilled with fennel, steamed or cooked in a papillote. It is served with olive oil, basil butter sauce, chervil butter or in its broth. It is wise to ask the waiter what fish he would suggest on that day as it varies. If I am not in an adventurous mood I stick with a sea bass (bar) cooked “grandmother style“. It is served with tagliatelle pasta, potatoes or a vegetable side dish. The chef is very creative with condiments so I never get tired of the bass as it is slightly different each time. The fish has always been excellently prepared.
Bacon often also has a dorade (John Dory), sea bream, red snapper, turbot and then plenty of seasonal local fish like the white fleshed denti.

Most of the desserts are served with fruit. I love the Millefeuille with a light cream and wild strawberries or get a portion of the wild strawberries on their own or with fluffy chantilly. A local lady picks them on the edges of the Mediterranean forests nearby. When I feel like I need a sweet bomb with a powerful rum boost, then I like to order the Rhum Baba, which is a sponge cake with a drop of rum. At Bacon you can select the rum that suits your palate the most, just ask David, who is in charge of the drinks and he will happily advise you on the right one – more sweet, oaky or sharper – get a shot.
wild strawberries
Since 2008 I have eaten at Bacon every summer season on countless occasions.
Price: very high (the best fish does not come cheap and the fishermen need to be rewarded for their super early working hours, appetisers between €20-75, fish around €80 per 500g – a big fish can reach €300 and above)
Drinks: The wine list is worthy of Bacon’s reputation. It is purely French – from the heights of the Burgundy’s legendary producers Romanée Conti and Domaine d’Auvenay to more sober Côtes de Provence you will find something to suit your budget. A glass of Champagne or a luscious Bellini as an aperitif and an intense Armagnac for a digestif. A cup of verbena or chamomile infusion to round up your spectacular dinner will be served with homemade biscuits. Especially, I love the wafer-thin crispy ones with almond shavings called Tuiles, an authentic Provençal speciality.

March-October open daily except on Mondays and for lunch also on Tuesdays.
+33 4 93 61 50 02
Boulevard de Bacon, Cap d’Antibes, 06160, France

Soirée Bordeaux Grands Crus at A'Trego

A Soirée Grands Crus (loosely translated: Evening of Great Wines) took place this month at the port of Cap d’Ail, just out of Monaco. The event was an excellent opportunity for the local wine enthusiasts to taste both – some famous as well as lesser known white, red and sweet wines from the Bordeaux area.
All the proprietors were present and explained everything about their wines and vineyards in person. Having all of these busy and successful people at one place is a rarity in today’s global world of wine business. As it is these days, the majority of the bigger prestigious wineries sent their ambassadors to give the tastings to the public as well as to the professionals.

Present were 35 domaines bringing each two vintages of their wines. You could find the acclaimed wines from the Château Pichon Longueville, Carbonnieux, De Pez and Giscours from the left bank as well as Château Gazin and Michel Rolland’s Le Bon Pasteur from Pomerol from the right bank.
For the price of almost €200 it was not the cheapest tasting I have attended, yet it was accessible to the wider public treating us to canapés, view of the Mediterranean sea and life jazz music. At the end, it was a pretty good deal. Not like most of the press and professional tastings in the typical exhibition hall, back room of a restaurant or rarely a sit down guided tasting. The last is still very analytical and uptight rather than enjoyable and relaxing.

I chose starting upstairs with the white wines in the open-air bar where the breeze of the sea freshens up ones face after a couple of glasses of wine. (Despite I am mostly spitting out the wines during a tasting, I always get a bit pinkish skin tone (simply said a blush) on my cheeks from the alcohol being swirled in my mouth).
The most striking whites were from Château de Chantegrive, Domaine de Chevalier, Château Latour-Martillac.

Tasting notes:

Château de Chantegrive 2008 – a 50/50 blend of Semillon and Sauvignnon Blanc, the two common grapes used in white bordeaux. This Graves native is a lovely, fruity, yet intense wine, with aromas of apricot and ripe pear. The Semillon is responsible for the intensity. A great summer companion if you desire something more pronounced than a crisp Sauvignon.
Domaine de Chevalier 2008 – dominated by Sauvignon Blanc (85%) and only polished by ripe fruit flavors of Semillon (15%). Using new oak for part of the blend (30%) left some wood tones on the palate, with vanilla and smoke accompanying it. It is a complex wine where ripe yellow fruit is balanced by spices such as white pepper and clove. Pessac-Léognan is well-known for excellent white wines and Domaine de Chevalier is doing a justice to its fame.
Château Latour-Martillac 2008 – another Pessac-Léognan based winery, yet its wines are very different than the Domaine Chevalier’s. Sauvignon Blanc in its 2/3 majority in the blend brings on the herbaceous, fresh and zesty tones. High acidity and long finish ensure long pleasure from this wine.
From the red wines I liked the 2002 vintage from Château Trottevielle, 2006 from Gazin, 2006 from Le Bon Pasteur and 2004 from Château Clerc Milon. Overall, the reds were better than the whites in terms of complexity and that is perhaps why these days the red Bordeaux is much more praised, than the whites. Nevertheless, the white Bordeaux are underrated as once they were more popular than the local reds and they offer lots of pleasure.

Château Trottevielle 2002 – grapes from the Saint-émilion Grand Cru vineyard must speak complexity and be capable of longevity. In the case of this wine they really do. On the palate dark fruits accompanied by spices become alive with high acidity and long tannic finish. It is balanced very well as it starts intensely, is mellow in the mid-palate and ends with tongue-awakening tannins – like an U shape.
Château Gazin 2006 & 2009 – both vintages were showing great, although the 2009 needs some time in the bottle as the tannins were very fresh and mouth squeezing, although not harsh so the wine was drinking well. Both vintages were concentrated with blackcurrant and both high acidity and tannins in the right balance promising long aging potential.
Château Le Bon Pasteur 2006 & 2009 – again both showing very well, but in the case of this child of the legendary wine consultant Michel Rolland even the 2009 was very elegant and balanced. As is common on the right bank, the wine is mostly Merlot with an addition of Cabernet Franc (about 20%). Elegant, well-balanced, smooth and red with dark fruit, in the younger vintage showing more of a ripe strawberry. Madamme Rolland was a lovely lady sharing her travel stories with us eagerly. She loves Argentina and their family property at Clos de Los Siete. A dream came true for her and her famous husband she met during studies when she had a little idea about what oenology (the subject her future husband studied) was.
Château Clerc Milon 2004 – this Pauilac Cabernet blend achieved greatness in 2004. Its masculine character with espresso roast sweetened by cassis and white chocolate, is refreshened with hint of menthol. A very well balanced wine produced by the Rothschild family.

The end of the evening was more than relaxing with the lounge chairs seducing all the present people at the restaurant’s terrace to sit down. Many of the tasting participants forgot about the spitoons and just comfortable settled in one of the seats and enjoyed a glass of their favorite wine from the tasting. For me it was harder to choose one, I would have to end up at least with three glasses in my hand lounging in the chair, and that would look improper for a lady, so I spit the last delicious sip of red and moved back home.

Camélia: Futuristic Restaurant by Thierry Marx at Mandarin Oriental in Paris

Thierry Marx, one of France’s most celebrated chefs, has invented an unusual although for a modern and hectic lifestyle suitable concept. The chef created simple dishes in an ethos of ‘45 minutes – 45 euros’ . This means either that you spent only 45 minutes at his restaurant dining (or rather just briskly eating) gourmet food or that time is money in the world of now, so you should not spent hours at a Michelin awarded establishment. I agree with his point of reducing the lengthy restaurant outings as it sometimes may really seem as a waste of time (one could have used the extra hour or two to do something more substantial such as catch up with emails, walk a dog or read the informative daily news). On the other hand, when you have to pay quite a lot of money for meals at these high-dining restaurants, then having a relaxing lunch or dinner without worrying about the next meeting or other duties, should be worth the time. The word stress became the new cancer of the past decade so why not to start reliving it while performing one of our most basic needs – eating.

Food: The names on the menu sound sometimes a bit scary and matter-of-fact, thus not tempting you to expect something delicious.
Our first meal was called Structured & deconstructed green peas, so you can judge for yourself how tasty it sounds. Luckily, the dish was amazing and turned out to be my favorite from the six-course menu. Depicted above on the spoon lays a delicate pea bun, something resembling a pea cream financier and a pea truffle. All were savoury, not sweet, these are just my creative musings about the possible descriptions I missed on the menu.
We continued our journey through the concise list of ingredients with Cuttlefish / asparagus with squid ink / spicy oil. The dish looked like a modern painting on the plate, but tasted bland.

The leeks / snails / fresh herbs look like a rendezvous of Martians’ flying saucers as the snails are enveloped in green jelly-like ravioli. Tušit taste is disappointing though. I found the snails very boring and wish to eat the simple Burgundy snails diving in melted herb butter.
Turbot / popcorn was another quite nice plate. The white fish was thinly sliced like a carpaccio and tasted marvellously. A high quality fish melted on my tongue like a thin layer of ice. The popcorn was a bit dry and boring so I would leave it out and put herbs or something else if the chef wants to be so original.
A tiny Soy and oysters risotto / black truffle was a delightful bowl of soy and oysters covered by a white foam sprinkled by an ash of black truffles. It fulfilled the chef’s quest for originality, yet it did not sacrifice the pleasure from eating it.

Continuing with the line-up of expensive ingredients we were served Lobster / white miso. A great idea to pair Western and Japanese cuisine turned to work magic, just the lobster was far from the succulent and flavour-bursting one from Maine in the US. From the European waters sometimes the Lobsters from Brittany can get close to the Main’s king of lobsters, yet it is mostly left on the chef’s skills to create a delicacy.

Much better produce of the sea was a piece of John Dory. The Pan-fried John Dory / asparagus gnocchi / Parmesan foam satisfied our demanding palates fully. A playful and light dish, which was interesting as well as very tasty.
Looking across the table at the bloody Charred beef / liquorice / green pees / lardo di Colonnata of my partner I had to try some. Again it looked like from a dining magazine cover, yet it was a bit too rare and for someone who ate peas in half of the dishes already it was a bit too much of the same. The liquified is a good idea, yet combined with the other ingredients it was far from a harmonious meal for me. My meat-craving parter liked it a lot though.

Drinks: We asked the sommelier for suggestion of a red elegant Burgundy suitable to our meal selection. He recommended Morrey St. Dennis, 1996 from Hubert Lignier so we went for it. However nice the wine was though, we were very disappointed as it was not the style we asked for – the wine was more rich, concentrated and intense, but we wanted something more elegant. We would have done better without the sommelier’s advice. Moreover, the wine list is not full of bargains either so one has to be very selective to find something enjoyable fir a good price.

Atmosphere: White, plastic and without life. It was the decoration which made us to feel like in a box or inside a spaceship. The tables were comfortable, people we talking in a moderate level, but we could not wait to be somewhere else. At least at some place where one feels some life. Too cold and dull atmosphere for me.

Cuisine: Modern French, gastronomic, molecular cuisine
Opening hours: daily for lunch & dinner: 12pm–11pm
Telephone: + 33 (0) 1 70 98 74 00
Address: Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 251 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris

Orient Extreme: the peer of Nobu in Paris

Tthe dining climate in “The city of lights” (“La Ville-Lumière”) has shifted immensely. The locals and visitors alike are open to a more cosmopolitan food and seek a lighter alternative to the usually heavy lunch and dinner at a French restaurant. The Asian cuisine is currently thriving in Paris with Japanese catching up with the already popular Thai food. Orient Extreme is one of the leaders of the contemporary Japanese restaurants in Paris. With its chef once leading the local Nobu, the Orient Extreme has got also the Nobu’s feel as well as the nikkei blend of Peruvian and Japanese ingredients.

Toyofumi Ozuru as a young chef trained in Tokyo and then moved to Paris, where he headed a number of Japanese restaurants including the globally famous Nobu. His style is fresh and contemporary, in the fashion of the Nobu restaurants (excluding the Matsuhisa chain, where Nobu himself is most involved).
The atmosphere is a very Nobu style – classy, simple, yet furnished with high-quality materials, comfortable chairs and wooden tables. The room is humming with glamorous people.
You can also sit outside, but I do not like it as much as you sit just across from the RTL broadcaster’s office building so it spoils a bit the atmosphere. For the inside dress accordingly – anything stylish including cool jeans and a nice shirt is allowed.
Food: New style sashimi of sea bream is one of the most popular dishes of the contemporary Japanese cuisine. It is a raw fish carpaccio served with green chilli and cilantro. At the Orient Extreme they prepare it very well. Using the freshest fish is crucial and getting the balance of seasonings right guarantees the utmost pleasure from this dish.

Many Japanese chefs including Nobu Matsuhisa spent some time in Peru and were inspired by the local cuisine. Later, they spread this South American cuisine with its nourishing ingredients across the world. The Peruvian Ceviche with lobster on the Orient Extreme’s menu is one of such Peruvian musings. Zesty and crisp dish with lots of onion and lime, it is ideal to mix with seafood such as lobster. It is a tricky pairing with wine, but I would go for an oaky Chardonnay with a less dominant acidity to balance the mouth-squeezing sauce. It is one of my favourite Peruvian dishes I enjoy anywhere if the fish or seafood is fresh.

Tataki is another hit of current Japanese cooking. It is a half-cooked (gently seared) slice of fish with oil-based sauce. The salmon tataki we had was perfectly balanced. Cooked lightly just as it should be and it melted in my mouth easily leaving a long and intense aftertaste.
After all that fish, one desires something like a salad. We have ordered two of the seaweed salads to compare them. I preferred the first one – Sunomono KYURI WAKAME. It is a Japanese seaweed salad with cucumber and Japanese Vinaigrette. Refreshing salad ideal between the uncooked and cooked dishes.
The KAISEN SALAD was a bit too complex – Japanese seaweed salad with lemon and sashimi moriawase – a mix of various fish and seafood. The shrimps were delicate and juicy, the salmon was rich and melted slowly on the tongue and the salmon eggs burst softly leaving their juice to enliven your palate. The weakness of this dish was the white fish as it tasted a bit too fishy and had a bit too chewy texture. Underlined and summed up it was not the kind of salad I would want as it was more about the sashimi and not about the vegetables.

The Spicy tuna sushi on a crispy rice might not be on the menu, but if a Japanese food connoisseur orders it, he should get it as it became a staple on most of the contemporary Japanese menus. At the Orient Express, it is magnificent so after ordering the first pair we had to get another one. The chopped fish with chilly sauce covering the fried bun of rice is a rich-tasting, mouth-filling, and highly addictive sushi invention. My mind crossed a comparison to Monaco’s Buddha Bar take on this dish, which my partner always orders without thinking sometimes twice (although there they serve five pieces as one order, so he ends up eating a lot of them). This dish requires a richer, fuller wine so do not hesitate to move to red if you started with a crisp white.
Moving to the world of pasta (but the Italian type, although described as such) we ordered Gyoza – toasted ravioli with various fillings. We chose gyoza filled with chicken and vegetables. Authentic and tasty warm meal ideal for sharing.
Looking into other people’s plates is found to be improper in most of cultures, including in my native Czech Republic, yet I must confess this is the only etiquette rule I keep breaking regularly. It is just too tempting to peak on the neighbors’ table in search for an inspiration. This time, I saw one of my favorite baked Japanese dishes and I had to order it as it looked so seductively. The NASU Dengaku is an eggplant gratin with sweet miso paste. It is so rich and its texture is so delicate and savory that if I had to have only one cooked dish from the menu, I would go for this one.
Drinks: Sake or wine? Both are great with Japanese food, although with wine one has to be quite selective. French Burgundy and white wines from Alsace are a great match to this food. We got a bottle of Chassagne Montrachet, 2006 from Michel Picard and were more that satisfied. This Chardonnay worked nicely with most of the dishes.
Mon-Sat: 12noon-3pm; Dinner: 8pm-11pm
+33 (0)1 47 20 91 58
21 rue Bayard, 75008, Paris

La Pinede: secret hideaway near Monaco

La Pinède is a good seafood restaurant on the Mediterranean shore nested between Monaco and Cap Ferrat. You can walk along the sea from Monaco enjoying the fresh air or conveniently arrive by car accessing it through the village of Cap D’Ail. Its hidden location makes La Pinède a popular escape for a romantic dinner or a refreshing lunch for families strolling the path on weekends and holidays.

Cuisine: French, seafood, Mediterranean, Provençal
Visit: April 2012
Price: high with some main courses approaching the €50 price tag.
Atmosphere: Super romantic when you are sitting by the windows (open during warm months), looking over to the sea and listening to the soothing hiss of waves. You are right there on the rocks of the seashore. You can sit outside, have an aperitif in one of the lounge chairs or opt for sometimes warmer indoor seating. The restaurant is really big and offers a choice of various atmospheres depending on in which of the rooms you are sitting. At the back by the bar there is rustic, mountain challet reminding darker room for coller evenings or after-dinner drinks. Then there are two rooms turning into a terrace during the summer. Both boost with a lovely sea view and lots light.

Food: La Pinède is known for its seafood and fish which comes directly from Corsica. There is some meat on the menu, but it is mostly not what diners come here for. Try their Boullabaisse fish soup or Rock fish « maison » soup with its Provençal « rouille » mayonnaise as they are both excellent here and can be both a rich appetizer or nourishing main course. The Rock fish soup is one of the best ones I had in France.

Desiring something lighter get the Carpaccio of scallop shell, tuna and salmon. It is fresh and delicate, yet on a huge plate so if you choose it as an appetizer share it with someone.

Grilled prawns with garlic and fresh basil are good quality seafood, yet to my taste it was too oily, actually the prawns were swimming in oil and who wants that if a delicious oil and eggs-based homemade tartare sauce is served with this course. Unless you eat lots of bread with it, you will wake up with a tummy ache.

A better choice were the Oven baked Bay prawns with Provence herbes as they were not too oily, but fresh, juicy and mellow. They are expensive, but delicious and the portion is generous.

La Pinède offers also three kinds of tasting menus, which can be a good value for money and are quite flexible in terms of selection.

Drinks:The wine list is purely French oriented with wines in all price points and half-bottle and magnum sized wines suit every occasion. We have got an interesting half bottle of white wine from Domaine Ott. This Provencial winery is known for its rose wine so we were curious if their white wine is also worth the domaine’s great reputation. The Blanc de Blancs made from Sauvignon Blanc and Ugni Blanc was perfect with the seafood. Fruity, crisp and refreshing. For €35 in this small version it was not the cheapest wine, yet it was a good value in terms of taste.Wines from big names such as Cheval Blanc from Bordeaux feature on the list as well and they come with a high price tag. Although, cheaper than at many restaurants in Monaco.
If you feel like an aperitif before your dinner, then a glass of house champagne or one of the classical cocktails such as Bellini,. Kir Royal, Margarita or a non-alcoholic La Paradise will do. Owing to its lovely lounge terrace, many diners opt for a pre-diner drink there.
Opening hours & contact: Open every day (except on Wednesdays) from March to October, for lunch and dinner. Tel: +33.(0)4.93.78.37.10

La Frégate: Authentic Parisian brasserie

La Frégate’s convenient location across the Seine river from the Louvre and just a few blocks away from Musée d’Orsay makes it a frequent dining spot on my visits to Paris. Authentic and honest French food with a traditional atmosphere are persuasive assets of this brasserie.

Cuisine: French traditional
Visit: April 2012
Price: medium high for Paris
Atmosphere: Families are the most frequented diners here, but also couples and friends come along. It is an elegant and traditional brasserie so not many young, cool and trendy Parisians hang out there. It feels casual, friendly and the service makes it a pleasant dining spot between your browsing through the nearby museums. Many locals frequent La Frégate since it is food is honest and reliable.
Food: From snails through frog’s legs you can savor all the traditional French dishes at La Frégate without fuss and worry that loss of authenticity. I come to this brasserie almost every time I visit Paris and anything I have ordered from the menu has been so far great. The Frog’s Legs are crispy and delicate, much better than the chewy version of this dish in China. Served simply with parsley and garlic, bread is their ideal companion. The Escargots or the Burgundy snails in butter and herb sauce cannot be better. With fresh bread dipping into the buttery sauce this is an excellent dish with a glass of crisp white wine such as Sancere (Sauvignon Blanc) or Puligny-Montrachet (Chardonnay) from Burgundy. Luckily, the French know how to make their bread – always fresh, crisp and simple without any spices, so it goes well with many cheese or sauce-based appetizers.

The Onion Soup au Gratin with a crust of cheese on the top is a lunch on its own. Intense onion flavor, melting bread and warm goooey cheese stretching like spaghetti when eaten with a spoon. Strangely, I like it for a late breakfast sometimes. Another soup I love here, for its incredible condiments, is the fish soup. La Soupe de Poissons et sa Sauce Rouille is a rich fish soup eaten with a crispy slices of baguette, egg and saffron-based rouille sauce and grated cheese on the top.

If you want to start with something light, La Frégate has a great selection of oysters not only from France and they recommend a bottle of white Pouilly Fumé with it.
From the main courses the Sole Meunière with potatoes is a great pan-fried or sautéed (often you can choose) sole served with amazing rich sauce Meunière consisting of brown butter, parsley and lemon. It tends to be served as a fillet and is quite big so be hungry for that.
La Frégate has such a good selection of cheese that I rarely order a desert there and rather have a cheese plate with a glass of wine. The selection of desserts is very wide so if you feel like Tarte Tatin or Crêpes Suzette please yourself. I have seen many kids enjoying them and sharing unwillingly with their parents as they probably were so good.
Drinks: The wine list is quite small, but good. From a small budget to a more expensive bordeaux and champagne. By the glass and half bottle selection is what I like about this place the most as I do not need to drink too much and savor more types of wine.
Opening hours & contact: Open every day from 11:30am – 11:30pm; Telephone: +33 (0)1 42 61 23 77

Angelina tea room: forever desirable sweet temptation in Paris

Angelina Jolie may not be the sweetest bearer of this heavenly name. Right by the Louvre, Angelina tea room at Rue du Rivoli is reputed for serving the best hot chocolate in Paris. The pastry shop and café also bakes in-house sublime desserts attracting daily long lines of fans. For an outsider the scene looks like movie fans waiting for an autograph from their idol. Well, this is better than some brief encounter and a signature, as the hot chocolate really is the best in Paris.

Since 1903 this conveniently located Salon de thé has been attracting local connoisseurs as well as pleasure-seeking tourists coming to Paris. It a special treat for thousands of sweets lovers. Founded by an Austrian confectioner, Angelina tea room might once had been influenced by the top grand cafès of Vienna with its lofty chandeliers, robust mirrors and elegantly curved chairs in the main dining room. Yet, being designed by a great Belle Époque architect Edouard-Jean Niermans it ultimately received a truly Parisian touch.

In charge is the Head Pastry Chef Sébastien Bauer from Alsace, North-East France. His task is very challenging since he has to showcase Angelina’s heritage, while incorporating contemporary dining trends into his recipes. His perfection-seeking creations are the pride of the famous salon.
An elegant, pompous and haute atmosphere in sync with its glorious past customers. Trend setters such as the fashion designer Coco Chanel, aristocrats or creative writers such as Marcel Proust, all frequented Angelina tea room. Today though, be prepared for hordes of tourists visiting from China to Brazil. Dress code is consequentially very relaxed. The rule basically is wear anything you had on you during your visit of the Louvre or a stroll in the nearby park.

The busiest are the afternoons when a cup of hot chocolate and one of the Angelina’s deserts are usually mass savoured. Breakfast and lunch time are served as well and can be reserved in advance skipping the unpleasant waiting. Still, if you want to avoid the long queues then come early.
From a simpler snack menu consisting mostly of luxurious sandwiches, through large lunch salads to proper main courses, one surely finds what the taste buds desire. I have not resisted the daily offer of an eclectic pan-seared fish with crispy polenta on a bed of asian vegetables accompanied by a sweet and savoury sauce with sweet potato tempura. East meets West in this refreshing yet rich meal. The fish was perfectly cooked, not too oily, just the right balance. The wheel of crispy polenta was tremendous and the veggies have lightened up the other fried companions on the plate.
There are so many indulgently looking deserts lined like jewels in the front counter making it hard to choose only one. If you are there for the first time I would recommend the Angelina’s signature pastry Mont Blanc, a meringue with whipped cream and thick chestnut purèe vermicelli snailing like a portion of spaghetti all over the top. It looks a bit funny, but its taste is unique. A cup of tea is ideal with it. Having a hot chocolate with this already rich and creamy treat would be perhaps too much at once.

The Millefeuille à la Vanilla Bourbon seduced my sister. The delicate thin layers of caramelised puff pastry filled with Bourbon vanilla cream are perfect with a cup of espresso.
For the first timers trying the Hot chocolate L’African is a must. This rich, thick, warm delicacy is served with a side-pot of whipped cream to mellow its potency how much you like. The wine list is also above satisfactory, although one might not feel like drinking alcohol at this magnificent tea room.
Cuisine: International with an emphasis on deserts.
Come for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon tea as Angelina is closed for dinner.
Mon-Fri from 7:30am-7:00pm; Weekends from 8:30am-7:00pm. There are many new locations, one inside the Versailles, so choose the most convenient one for you.
+33 1 4260 8850

Eating truffles in Paris at Maison de la Truffe

Since 1932 Maison de la Truffe has been a luxurious hideaway for the most distinguished gourmet palates in Paris. People can buy, taste and savor truffles in all possible ways. A shop and restaurant in one this is THE PLACE to dine for anyone who loves this intensely aromatic mushroom and purchase truffle infused oil, salt, foie gras, pates, pastas, risottos and many other products such as cheese (the truffle brie is mind-blowing) of outstanding quality made with truffles. I recommend everyone to get their truffle salt and white truffle oil as you can become a master chef at home by simply adding these condiments to rice, pasta or meat and vegetables.

Cuisine: Truffle based French and Italian
Visit: April 2012
Price: very high and depending on what kind of truffle if any you want on your dish. White truffles from Alba and Black Melanosporum truffles are the priciest.
Atmosphere: Fresh, simple, it can feel a bit businessy over the lunch and classic for the dinner. There are beautiful photographs of truffles all over the walls. The restaurant is entered through the tiny shop so you can sample some delicacies before you decide to get a table. I rarely see very young diners there, perhaps truffles attract more mature food connoisseurs, yet from time to time even a family finds its way here. Many people come here from work so they are dressed in smart casual clothes. No heels, ties and hats needed. It is Paris, so if you are a tourist striding the streets in your snickers they will probably let you in, perhaps just with a small frown on their forehead. After all, you are in the capital of fashion.

Food: You can start off your day late and in a big style with scrambled eggs sprinkled generously with truffles, if you are not hesitant to pay over 70 Euro for a breakfast (the White truffle option). There is also selection of foie gras and cheeses, but I would recommend to buy these at the shop for later home consumption as it is cheaper and one does not to eat it all at once, but save it for later. The choice of truffles varies according to the season as these aromatic mushrooms have to be eaten fresh to taste them in their full strength. The chef does a very good job implementing truffles into each dish so I would strongly recommend to indulge at least in one of the restaurant’s appetizers. In the french tradition the Chestnut Cream Soup is excellent. Creamy, delicate and lets the aromas of your choice of truffles stand out. On the example of this soup you can see well how the price rises with your choice. Without truffles it is 13 Euro, with cheaper seasonal truffle it rises to 20 and with the black truffle it is almost tripple as you pay 36 Euro. I would do the middle version if you do not want to over-splurge on a soup. Another take on a traditional dish, in this case from Italy is their Burrata – creamy mozzarella with tomatoes (14 Euro), is twice as good with truffles, so in this case the price (21Euro) is a good deal. As the burrata melts in your mouth the truffle aromas harmoniously play with this dish.

From the main courses the Beef Tartare “Maison de la Truffe” with French Fries and Salad is perfect if you do not want anything warm. The meat is of excellent quality which is important in this raw meat-based delicacy, there are no capers in the maison de la Truffe version for a simple reason as they are too aromatic and would fight with the intense flavor of truffles. The only drawback of this meal were the French Fries as they were not crispy as I like them, but a bit mushy.

From one of the house classics I have tried the Risotto, which was excellent – slightly creamy, simple yet outstanding. Last time I was there with my sister and she had the Raviolis with Summer Truffles and Truffled cream and as much as she enjoyed the truffles, she missed more filling inside the raviolis and found it too rich and creamy. With truffles the dish should be rather delicate so one is not overwhelmed by the weight of the meal so he can relish the exceptional gourmet experience from eating truffles.
If you decide for a desert, do it, they all look great, yet, I move to the shop, get a slice of Foie Gras or Truffled Brie and take it to the park. Tuileries gardens by Louvre are just five minutes away!
Drinks: I had a glass of red Bordeaux made exclusively for maison de la Truffe. Red wine is the best drink with black truffles, which I had sprinkled all over my steak tartare. For white truffles champagne is widely recommended. Although many people from Piedmont, the kingdom of white truffles in Italy, told me that a local juicy red Barbera, Barbaresco or even a heavier Barolo are their favorite drinks with their local culinary gem.
Opening hours & contact: Restaurant Maison de la Truffe at Place de la Madaleine: Mon-Saturday: 12-22:30; Store 10am-22:00pm; Reserve a table on their website here.

Independent Growers Champagne rises to fame

Champagne was the first and still is the most famous sparkling wine in the world. The North-West French region is known for the big, branded and expensive bottles of fizz. Here, marketing of a grape-based product was exploited to its highest levels in the same fashion as a diamond engagement ring became a must for would-be married (De Beers in the 1930s coined it) in the same way champagne became the signature party and celebratory drink. Even those wine drinkers not knowing, generally, many names of wines would recognize Dom Perignon, Moet, Cristal, Bollinger or Paul Roger. The later’s strong connection with the legendary UK prime minister Winston Churchill (a devoted drinker of this bubbly). Independent Growers Champagne is only coming to the stage now. From behind the thick and heavy curtains of the big brands, the wine drinkers curiosity guides their palates to the lesser known bubbles.

The vineyards of Champagne

Times are changing, though. Perhaps it is globalization widening our choices as well as increasing competition, that leads many consumers to look for cheaper or unknown brands. Increasingly I am meeting wine aficionados from across the world tired of excessively expensive wines. These are the engines for smaller yet quality-conscious producers, who are now able to sell their wines outside their region. Grace to these novelty-driven consumers as we can all savor the fruits of hard work of these small, often family lead Champagne producers.
Some of them are at the same time the owners of vineyards from which their champagne is made. This is not a custom in the kingdom of bubbles. Many leading Champagne-making houses buy the grapes from growers in the region.
Earlier this week I traveled to Champagne to taste some of the fizzes from these small producers. As thirst for boutique Champagne grows, the past couple of years yielded wine tasting events showcasing champagnes from the lesser-known makers. A great thing about these tastings is that often the Champagne is being poured by the winemaker or the family member himself!
Terres et Vins de Champagne was a tasting from 18 different producers with emphasis to the soils of Champagne region. The producers pointed out the soil composition of the vineyards from which the grapes came from. With my basic knowledge of French, I had to puzzle out with the help of everyone around me what soil it was since the names are sometimes very different from their English translation. The French though are proud of their terroir and that reflects itself in the French origin of many of the soils’ names in English.

Since now Rosé Champagne is so popular I would elevate my favorite from this tasting and it is not a humble example. The Rosé Brut Grand Cru from Henri Goutorbe residing at the same address as was the tasting at Castel Jeanson in Ay was so complex, delicate and soft that one thinks of a rose macaroon from Pierre Hermé, the master of this legendary French delicacy. Making and blending of this pinkish bubbly was a seriously labour-intensive job. As a blend of Grand Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with the later in 75% majority, the Pinot stands out. Yet, it is not its aromatic fragrance that is solely responsible for its complex taste, but preciseness of separating in time the skins of the red grapes from the juice so only 15% of the total blend remains macerated with the skins leaving the pinkish hue in the final blend. The remaining Pinot Noir is white wine since the skins were removed and the juice inside the grape is white.
From the purely white Champagnes, I loved the refreshing and harmonious Brut Natural Les Rechais from Francis Boulard. Zero dosage (no adding of the sweetening blend of sugar with reserve wine) makes this sparkly Chardonnay a healthier option for champagne lovers. Its zesty bitter touch of grapefruit is well-balanced by ripe fruit and hint of honey and toast. It is a very complex wine coming from a biodynamic single plot vineyard. It is indeed very natural as it is unfiltered and unfined (adding an egg yolk or other substance to clean the appearance of wine).
Another treat was Brut Prestige Hubert Paulet Cuvee Risleus coming from Premier Cru vineyards. This blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier has yeasty character. Exotic fruit, vanilla, toast and honey finish will please these looking for a richer taste. Aging in oak barrels is partially responsible for its fullness. This Non-Vintage (N.V.) Champagne was made mostly from grapes harvested in 2001.

The next day I went back to Reims for Les Artisans du Champagne tasting.

Les Artisans du Champagne is a group of independent producers who do not need to adhere to the styles of champagne houses and can let their creativity flow making distinct bubbly each year. I have attended the second annual tasting at Salle des Régates Rémoises in the capital of Champagne – Reims.

My favorite was a vintage Millésime 1999 from Champagne Alfred Gratien. Their winemaker Nicolas Jaeger disclosed that he prefers second fermentation under a cork closure as it results in “better and longer aging“. A classical blend of Chardonnay (65%), Pinot Noir (17%) and Pinot Meunier (18%). It was aged in 4-5 years-old barrels ‘infusing’ the juice slightly with biscuit and toasty aromas. The later show also on the palette together with a nutty and plum intensity which is softened by hints of apricots.
Similarly as during the previous tasting, I was enchanted by a Grand Cru champagne. La Grande Ruelle 2004 from Gonet-Medeville is a 100% Pinot Noir coming from Grand Cru Ambonnay vineyards. This blanc de noirs champagne is Extra Brut, so the dosage (adding of sweetening agent) is only 3 grams. It spent seven months in old oak barrels leaving some sweet spicy aromas of vanilla and cloves to otherwise fruity body. On average only 1.000 bottles are produced annually so if you are interested, rush to get hold of this delicacy. You can order it by contacting the winery directly on their website.

Chablis: The ultimate soil expression

Without doubt, the people of Chablis, a region in Northern Burgundy, are proud of their unique wine made from multifaceted Chardonnay grapes. The inimitable characteristics of the crisp, fresh and charmingly mineral Chablis are hard to question.
Unless once someone will transport the area’s specific soil to another place, it may be hard and perhaps impossible to find an identical copy of Chablis. On one side, winemaking plays an important role in creating a certain style of wine, but in Chablis the soil is the main agent in creating such an exclusive breed of wine.
The ground in the area is rich in limestone overlaid with Kimmeridgian clay, distinct for Chablis.

There are four appellations (classes) in the region: Petit Chablis, Chablis, 1er Cru and Grand Cru.
Petit Chablis was awarded perhaps a quite derogatory term petit (small, lesser) for its simple fresh taste and thus it became the lowest, basic appellation in Chablis. It can please summer lunch drinkers for its uncomplicated and straight persona. If you are not a fan of rosé, this might be an ideal option for you in a hot day to bring a bit of breeze into your overheated entity.
The Chablis is anything from the area around the town which was not awarded a Premier or a Grand Cru status. These wines tend to represent a typical Chablis in its famed mineral coat. For the refreshing and sophisticated enough taste they offer, they are very well priced.
The Premier (1er) Crus are sometimes complex enough, that I would assign them a Grand Cru status. Nevertheless, they are a slightly better value for money for the orchestra of flavours they offer. If you want something interesting and do not want to strain your purse much then this is the right wine for you to try.
There are seven Grand Crus on the right bank of the river crossing the town of Chablis. All of them are set next to each other as a nicely-laid 100 hectares puzzle on the southwest side of a hill.

Bougros
Blanchot
Grenouilles
Les Clos
Les Preuses
Vaudésir
Valmur

Wines from each climate (Cru) have a different character, so if you have an opportunity try to taste them all and find your personal favourite. The best though is a visit of Chablis. The village is charming with a maze of underground cellars seducing you to come in and taste some wines.

As in most cellars in France the tasting is free of charge. The generosity of the producers should not be exploited though. I would encourage everyone to buy a bottle (or two) if you really like some wine a lot, since the winemakers also have to make their living and what could the best reward for them than a satisfied customer willing to pay for their creations?

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