This is not a discovery, the culture of Michelin is far from being accessible to all and yet it makes chefs and eaters dream. So what happens when a customer gives himself the luxury of stepping through a star-studded door? How does he choose his address? What will he be looking for? Tradition or impertinence? Luxury or sobriety? Posture or sincerity?
These questions cooks also ask themselves. Giuliano Sperandio did not have to cut it. Christophe Pelé’s second faithful at La Bigarrade and Le Clarence, he officiates for the first time as a figurehead of a flagship of great French gastronomy: Le Taillevent. Temple of tradition, this Michelin-starred restaurant since 1948 is the perfect place to educate neophytes on the habits and customs of seasoned gourmets.
The Taste of M
Miniature veal tartare
It begins, in chic 8e arrondissement of Paris, by the warm welcome of the valet in front of the former private mansion of the Duke of Morny, half-brother of Napoleon III. A sanitary pass control later, here is the vast Taillevent room. A fresco carved in wood mimics the movement of the reeds which bend in the wind on the banks of a river. A man in a suit stands upright behind a cart from which flames are rising. He flames a crêpe Suzette.
At the table, the appetizers arrive before the menu. A miniature veal tartare appears in the hands of the butler happy to announce the complexity of this gem. The beetroot cream acidifies the tender and finely chopped flesh. The oyster whips it with its iodine while the stinging horseradish shakes the palate. Destabilized by this introduction, we must decide what to do next. The price guides the choice. It will be the lunch menu at 90 euros with a departure from the rule because of an almond soufflé offered as an à la carte dessert.
The obvious quality gives the novice the impression of belonging to the seraglio. Until dessert, however daring.
Wine ? The menu is all the heavier as the restaurant has also built its reputation on the richness of its cellar. The 110 Taillevent, the annex, offers 110 wine references to be tasted by the glass. The desire is for a Corsican wine, a heritage made from the Vermentino grape by Muriel Giudicelli. It boldly accompanies lobster ravioli.
The shellfish and the dough cooked al dente resist elegantly before merging into the lobster sauce. The walnut of sweetbread honors the tradition with its supreme sauce (made from poultry) and the few chanterelles which register it in the forest register. The puff pastry brings a lightness underlined by the celeriac puree.
The obvious quality gives the novice the impression of belonging to the seraglio. Until dessert, however daring. A shortbread with a hole in the center accommodates lychee jelly and grapefruit crumbs. This explosive marriage is softened by a coconut sorbet of rare subtlety. We should have relied on the dumbfounded gaze of the waiter when ordering: the almond soufflé is too much. Sometimes it is wiser to let yourself be tamed by traditions.
The address The Taillevent, 15, rue Lamennais, 75008 Paris. Phone. : 01-44-95-15-01. Open Monday to Friday from 12:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. then from 7:15 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The essential Veal tartare served as an appetizer.
The detail that is not a detail A wine list where bottles costing several thousand euros rub shoulders with simple and delicious skittles.
The bill Menus between € 90 and € 245.
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