Restaurant review

A visit to Eric Frechon’s three Michelin-starred restaurant Epicure will feature on many a foodies’ wish list. Located in Paris’s palace Hôtel le Bristol, this coveted address is a gastronome’s delight, focusing on classic French cuisine presented with a playful twist.

After we took our seats in the calm, light-filled restaurant looking out into the hotel’s inner garden atrium, a glance at the menu showed a select range of carefully crafted dishes. My starter of langoustines and caviar, served cold with a crisp taste of fresh celeriac and Japanese lemon (€95), was a delicate arrangement of subtle flavours. My companion’s signature dish of stuffed macaroni with black truffle, artichoke and duck foie gras, gratinated with mature parmesan cheese (€88) proved as richly luxurious in the mouth as it did on the menu.

Her line-caught whiting fish from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in a crust of bread with almonds, served with spinach and flavoured olive oil (€62), was a deliciously fresh affair, while my veal sweetbreads braised with amaretto and served with red onion confit and fresh almonds (€92) melted in the mouth.

The Nyangbo chocolate dessert, served in a chocolate cage with gold¬gilded sorbet (€35), had us open-mouthed in awe, and the gariguette strawberry pudding (€33) finished the evening in spectacular style.

Eve Middleton

Epicure, Hôtel le Bristol

112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

75008 Paris

Tel: (Fr) 1 53 43 43 40

www.lebristolparis.com/eng/restaurants-et-bars/epicure/

Main courses from €62