Epicure at Le Bristol (Paris, FRANCE) ★★★★★

Finding a 3-star Michelin restaurant that opens on a Sunday afternoon for lunch could prove to be quite a challenge in Paris. Fortunately Epicure came to our rescue.

Located in the luxurious 5-star Hotel Le Bristol in the heart of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district, Epicure is among the most popular fine dining destinations in Paris and one of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy's favorite haunts. At Epicure, Head Chef Eric Frechon combines elegance, tradition and flair with his exquisite and innovative cuisine making it one of the most coveted restaurants in the world.

It was one of the few times we were actually punctual at lunch or dinner on this trip! By the time we stepped inside the main dining room, it was already fully packed.

We looked around and could not help but notice up-and-coming Japanese chef Takazawa from Aronia de Takazawa seated right next to us.




Amuse bouche
I have never been so impressed with an amuse bouche anywhere else before but this was really special.

It all started with a plate of small nibbles. A wasabi mousse with tiny radish cubes on the left, a lollipop of smoked eel with foie gras and honey soy sauce in the middle and a small piece of deep fried frog's leg with ginger spices on the right.

I had them in that particular order and really enjoyed all the contrasting flavors tremendously.



A further amuse bouche continued to show off the class of this talented kitchen. It was a creamy ball of onion, egg yolk, black olive, bread and tuna in the middle served on a tomato jelly.

Eating it felt a lot like having an onsen-style poached egg but with all these rich flavors such as black olive, tuna etc. which were both savory and unique.

 
 

Thin tart of baby carrots
We couldn't wait to get things rolling with our starters. First up was my thin tart made with baby carrots. The tart looked really simple but taking a closer look revealed that it was formed by a few thin layers of baby carrots and the surface was nicely peppered with fresh turmeric and ginger, frost of coconut milk that was infused with coriander.

I am not a huge fan of carrots but this was different and very refreshing.



Mackerel, 7/10
Our other starter was a mackerel that was flavored with herbs and cooked in a transparent white wine jelly. blackcurrant and horseradish sauce.

I thought the horseradish sauce was a little too intense for my liking but the mackerel cooked in a white wine jelly was delicately aromatic with very exciting texture.



Codfish
Our main course started with a perfectly executed codfish on top of a bed of squid risotto. The codfish was powdered with tandoori spices before being wrapped around with some sort of leaves or seaweed. At the first glance, I thought it was lobster based on the color tone!

Seasoning the codfish with tandoori caught me a little off guard but what pulled the dish together was the squid risotto, clams and the greenish sauce made with cockles. The sauce, in particular, was very flavorful and that was instrumental in the success of this wonderfully prepared dish.

Roasted duck breast
Duck breast from the Challans region is prized for its tender and lean flesh and this was every bit as good as advertised. Lime flavored pineapple was also good in its supporting role.



After a very impressive display of main courses, cheese trolley was next. They had a fairly comprehensive collection of cheese from all over France available and of course, we wasted no time in picking the ones we liked.

Looked like chef Takazawa was interested in what's available too!



Following cheese, a very refreshing pre-dessert of blackcurrant compote, yogurt sorbet and raspberry meringue prior to the arrival of our desserts.



Farm Milk
Dessert took a little longer than expected but it was well worth the wait.

Farm milk was simply a tower of iced milk with milk jams. As expected, it's very milky and refreshing like having vanilla ice-cream.



Caribbean chocolate
This was a great choice for any chocolate lover. Creamy Caribbean chocolate, roasted coffee ice cream and a spicy caramel emulsion. It's irresistible even for anyone who's not keen on chocolate.



We thought we were done with dessert but they continued to bring us more delicacies. First, it was a "deconstructed" lemon tea made using the spherification technique to form an iced lemon tea flavored blob. When we slipped it into our mouth, it exploded quickly releasing fluids that resembled the taste of an iced lemon tea (in one sip).



Finally they brought out their "magic box" full of macarons. An "All-you-can-eat" buffet of macaron for petite four. What a way to wrap up this sensational lunch at Epicure!




In the summer, lunch and dinner are served in the beautiful gardens of the hotel courtyard. What a wonderful setting!



We had an amazing time here at Epicure. Not only is the food out of the world, the service has been absolutely flawless from start to finish. The Restaurant Manager, Marco, and his team made us feel like VIPs the moment we stepped inside the restaurant and their sense of humor got us laughing throughout the meal.




Food Rating: 10/10
Price: €€€€
Address: 112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
Tel: +33 (0)1 5343-4300
Closest Metro Station: Miromesnil / Saint-Philippe-du-Roule
Website: www.lebristolparis.com



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