Tag Archives: wine

Le Paris, Lutetia Hotel, Paris

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Hotel Lutetia in Saint Germain des Pres is an empire embodying Parisian style and luxury. This grand building was built in 1910 as the first Art Deco hotel in Paris. The stature and elegance remains intact today and it is a very desirable place to stay and eat.

Prestigious restaurant “Le Paris” gained a Michelin star for its spectacular rendition of contemporary French cuisine. The food is offered in a beautiful, intimate dining room, with designs by trendy fashion designer Sonia Rykiel. Harking back to a bygone era, it is a place of seductive sophistication.

Executive chef Philippe Renard has said of his menu: “My passion is to create around seasonal products but especially starting from the traditional cuisine that I like to revisit and to adapt to current tastes. My tendency is to focus on the good product. I campaign for the “eating well” and I am convinced that it is essential to eat everything in small quantities.”

With this in mind Le Paris menu has two options, small or large portions, available from starter through to dessert. A sensible suggestion for foodies with smaller appetites or those wishing to try a range of dishes from the menu. After a glass of bubbly, we were faced with the tricky task of choosing from the dazzling menu.

Our final selection was as follows:

To start:
Erquy scallops marinated with Clementine, with Chablis white wine mustard sauce, old fashioned vegetables and Roscoff seaweed tartar
Landes duck “foie gras” with black truffle mushroom from Vaucluse, cannelloni, and artichoke with hazelnut

For main:
Pyrenees milk fed lamb roasted with thyme, salsify with parmesan cheese and pine nuts, Brussel sprouts mashed potato
“Cros de la Geline” guinea fowl, roasted with Vaucluse black truffle mushrooms, green cabbage with “ventreche” slice of pork and chestnuts

Marie Anne Cantin cheese selection and Poujaran bread

To finish:
Saint-Honore with chestnuts and a light cream with rum and raisins
The “chocolate experience”

The scallops were a challenging raw fish starter with a sort of mustard coleslaw, a bizarre combination of flavours. The foie gras suited us better, a very rich but perfectly balanced dish with a subtle smokiness from the artichoke, the contrasting soft, sweet foie gras and a kick from the wonderfully woody black truffle, ultra-thin, placed delicately on top.

The mains were both enormous portions, we opted for the larger size which in retrospect was definitely a mistake. Comforting, juicy meat paired with cheesy vegetables, the lamb was absolutely delicious, but my favourite part of the course was the brussel sprout mashed potato, which was surprisingly tasty, creamy and addictive! The guinea fowl was lovely too, a bird which is not used enough in restaurants. Again this recipe included black truffles as they are in season, and was placed on a bed of complimenting soft cabbage with salty pork.

Wines were chosen by the sommelier as we went along, a selection of winning French varieties. Although the restaurant felt very smart, with guests only speaking in hushed voices, the staff tried hard to make our meal more relaxed and less formal, for which I was very grateful.

Mouthfuls of caramely delight arrived as a palate cleanser, the ideal mix of creamy ice-cream, mango and spun sugar. The Lutetia desserts were spectacular, amazing constructions carefully arranged to look as impressive as they tasted. My chocolate experience was a heavenly trio of puddings, rich but manageable. The Saint Honore cake is a famous French treat that our waiter insisted we tried. It was light and airy, decorated immaculately with edible gold leaf.

The gastronomic delights of Le Paris are served up in an enchanting setting which will take you back to the glamorous 1930’s. A wonderful restaurant in a magnificent hotel, both are well worth travelling to experience.

More information and book here.

Thanks to the Paris Tourist Board, more information here.

Things to do in Paris 2013

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Paris is heavenly all year round. Here are some discoveries from my latest winter trip…

Food

Camion qui Fume: Find this van. Best burger I’ve tasted in a long while. Sloppy but deliciously assembled, flavoursome but not too rich… accompanied by hand-chipped fries. Queue (for ages) and beg, borrow or steal one of these magnificent baps (the lady behind us resorted to bribery when she was denied one!)

Benoit: Alain Ducasse’s perfect French bistro serving up traditional dishes and familiar recipes. Awarded a Michelin star unsurprisingly for the exceptional food, service and atmosphere.

Le Paris at Lutetia Hotel: Located in the spectacular Lutetia hotel, I felt like I had travelled back in time sitting in the ornate Sonia Rykiel designed Le Paris dining room. Fine dining at its best.

Drink

Le Coq: Heard of Tony Conigliaro? He bought us gems like 69 Colbrooke Row, now he’s teamed up with French bar masterminds to create Le Coq, a hip place serving incredible cocktails and indulgent cheese and charcuterie boards.

Experimental Cocktail Club: A smaller and less conspicuous version of the London bar. Fine drinks are mixed up by the suited and booted barmen. Unique and inventive ECC recipes continue to enamour the Parisian guests.

Angelina’s: The thickest, most luxurious hot chocolate in town. Queue for a table in the lovely salon or pick up a cup to go, it will warm your hands and hearts while you wander round the city.

To Do

Catacombes:  ‘Stop. This is the Empire of Death,’ an engraved sign reads. A spooky underground world, and a must see site in Paris. With public burial pits overflowing in the era of Revolutionary terror the Catacombes were created to house the bones of six million people. Follow the 2 km tunnels to discover millions of bones and skulls from residents of Paris’s past.

Cruise down the Seine: Pick up a boat at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and travel past the great sites of Paris. As you float down the river, point out the familiar buildings, bridges and statues, a delightful way to see the city. More information and book with Viator here.

Palais de Tokyo: Why have I never discovered this venue before? This epic 1937 building opened in 2002 as an open-plan space hosting exhibitions and performances. Wacky work, super shop, cool cafe and best of all… a vintage Photomaton machine, jump in and pose away, create a strip of memories for just 2 euros!

To shop

Mariage Freres: A tea heaven, beautiful boxes and aromatic tea. MF have several outlets including a convenient shop just by the entrance to the Louvre.

Colette: The queen of the concept shops: books, shoes, cameras, jewellery, stationery, clothes, candles… and everything else you could possibly want to find. Everything is quirky, rare and utterly desirable.

The Kooples: The original; a cheaper and more varied collection in comparison to the UK branches. Get a Kooples outfit and you’ll fit in fine among the Frenchies.

To Stay

Hotel Legend: This dinky boutique hotel is ideally located for tourist trips. Crisp white minimalist rooms are a comfortable and attractive place to rest your head. Perhaps the most exciting feature is the impressive memory foams beds which ensure a deep and dreamy night’s sleep.

Hotel Seven: Special themed suites make this hotel one of a kind. Alice in Wonderland and 007 decorated rooms are just two of the suites on offer. Stylish and swish, this little hotel promises a memorable stay.

Book the Eurostar a few months in advance and you can travel for less than £70 return. I’m looking forward to my next trip already!

Thanks to the Paris Tourist Board, more information here.

London House, Woking

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London House Restaurant has the longest waiting list in Woking! Owner and head chef Ben Piette took a brave plunge into the competitive world of restauranteurs in 2011 after travelling on a one way ticket from his home town, Frejus in the south of France. His restaurant has since been the talk of the town, and one of Surrey’s most popular jaunts.

As a proud Provencale girl myself, I was intrigued by Ben’s roots and his move from the vibrant Riviera to the rather less sunny outskirts of London. His menu relies on French recipes and techniques but certainly has a hint of British too.

He offers modern food with an emphasis on flavour and great produce. We were treated to our pick from the four course, a la carte menu with wine pairings chosen by our knowledgeable waiter.

After a round of wonderfully soft bread with sweet balsamic and olive oil, we were offered smoked salmon amuse-bouches, perfectly formed mini mouthfuls. Starters brought both the highest and lowest point to the meal: an exquisite winter squash veloute with basil parmesan butter and a bagful of seeds was perfectly flavoured and wonderfully smooth, but the potted duck with marinated duck skewer was diappointingly served cold and this made the taste suffer.

We both opted for meat mains next, though a fish course is available for hungrier diners. As the restaurant became busier the service a little slower and so our thoughtful waiter bought along two surprise bowls of cullen skink with duck egg molle, beignets and baby spinach. The mains were substantial and hearty, just what you need for winter. Roasted rump of hogget (an older lamb) and Pan seared fillet of beef with slowed cooked ox cheek. Both meats were well cooked, though could have perhaps been slightly rarer, if I’m being fussy. The hogget was accompanied by complementing carrot and celeriac (so good I would have appreciated a bit more of it), wilted baby gem and sweet balsamic jus. Less traditional, the beef arrived on a bed of lasagne pasta, far too filling but intriguing nonetheless.

After a shot glass of strawberry milkshake not dissimilar to fromage frais, our desserts arrived. Split into simple categories, we chose the Citrus and Treacle options from the list. The puddings at London House are perhaps the most experimental of the dishes. The Lemon tart came with meringues, poached clems, cranberry, pomegranate and shortbread, an interesting mix of flavours which I couldn’t quite decide on. The Treacle sponge was remarkably plain but did become exciting once garnished with the Armagnac clotted cream and pine nut croquante. Dark chocolate truffles and fresh mint tea were a lovely conclusion to the meal.

We were first to arrive and last to leave the restaurant on this particular Tuesday night, which just proves how much we enjoyed our time at London House. In the capital London House would have to fight hard for the top spot, but in Woking this little independent restaurant deserves the credit it receives.

More information here.

http://www.londonhouseoldwoking.co.uk/