Get into the thick of French gastronomy with these new restaurants and bars in Paris.
With lockdowns officially a thing of the past in France, Paris is once again thriving, with fresh additions of coveted restaurants, and thumping with hot new bars aplenty.
Plénitude at Cheval Blanc Paris
With only 72 rooms and suites, scoring a reservation at the LVMH-owned Cheval Blanc Paris is like winning the lottery. If you miss your chance for a stay at this coveted property, a seat at Plenitude could help you nurse the sting. Helmed by chef Arnaud Donckele, the restaurant was one of the hottest openings of 2021. Chef Donckele brings his guests on an exploration of French gastronomy and terroirs. He aims to put savoir faire back into food through a focus on relationships with suppliers and producers. He also concocts Absolues (broths, veloutes, creams and juices) or sauces that took three years to develop. While you’re at the property, Le Tout-Paris deserves a visit too. The brasserie-slash- cocktail-bar looks out to the skyline and hosts a pop-up garden bar at the hotel’s Le Jardin in the summer.
Bonnie
If it’s a pumping party spot you seek, Bonnie is it. Occupying the top of the SO/Paris Hotel in the Morland Tower (Ive), the brasserie and bar is located in the heart of the reinvented east Paris. Here, 16 floors above ground, partygoers arrive at a club that embraces both the space age and the ’60s with its psychedelic patterned carpeting, curved couches and trippy mirrored ceilings. By day, the brasserie puts seafood to the fore, with a New York twist to its dishes, and champagne that forms the base of its ’60s- and ’70s-inspired cocktail menu. By night, from Thursdays to Saturdays, Bonnie becomes a place to see and be seen. The nightlife temple transforms into a Parisian version of Studio 54, but flashier, swankier and with better views.
Tea Time with Quentin Lechat At Le Bar Long, Le Royal Monceau
In 2021, Quentin Lechat joined Le Royal Monceau as pastry chef after winning the Grand Prix de la Pâtisserie de Paris in 2019. He launched Tea Time at the hotel’s Le Bar Long in April and has now introduced new pastries to the menu. Available on Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm to 5pm, the tea time menu features four phases. It begins with mini pastries, such as a delicate fig tartlet and a raspberry gavotte with vanilla whipped cream. This season, Lechat brings back his signature dessert of La Perle with blueberries, and introduces a tarte tatin as well as a trio of cakes that includes a combination of a brioche with puff pastry and praline.
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito at Bulgari Hotel Paris
At the Paris outpost of Il Ristorante, three-Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito introduces a unique spin on transalpine dining. In true Italian tradition, the food is kept simple with distinct flavours, but with one point of difference: Chef Romito uses healthier and lighter alternatives. For mantecatura of the risotto, he uses rice starch instead of butter. He also minimises the use of animal fats without sacrificing on taste in dishes. Every detail at Il Ristorante has been carefully thought through, from the Italian- made furniture to the breads made from three types of flours and a cleverly curated wine list. Reservations here.
The bars at Le Grand Mazarin
If glamorous rooftop clubs aren’t your scene, the bars at Le Grand Mazarin by Maisons Pariente offer a different type of mixology magic. Swedish architect Martin Brudnizki sought inspiration from literary salons of yesteryear and has dreamt up a space reminiscent of the aristocratic era in which artists, writers and musicians would gather in plush residences. The bars, located in the basement and ground floor, also take design cues from the nearby district of Le Marais. Think sofas in deep jewel shades, classically French fabrics and modern takes on traditional tipples. Originally slated for a fall opening, the bars will now launch in early 2023.
This story first appeared in the October 2022 issue of Prestige Singapore
