Probably the most divisive of the three-star eating places, Arpège is a spot you’ll both love or hate. I’m within the former camp, by I acknowledge a worrying quantity of repetition in Alain Passard’s tasting menu and the truth that his acolytes (David Toutain, Bertrand Grébaut) are working comparable magic for a fraction of the worth. Earlier than reserving Arpège, ask your self this: are you extra more likely to give attention to the quantity of delight that Passard can tease from an onion, or on the stratospheric markup of that ingredient? When you answered the latter, higher to hunt out caviar some other place.
There appears to be extra improvisation taking place in Passard’s kitchen than amongst any of the opposite three-star eating places. Whereas sure vegetable dishes (the sushi, raviolis, couscous) have been a characteristic of the menu for years, loads of different dishes (the only real with cabbage, the newborn boar with turnips) appear to have been made up on the spot. I are likely to get pleasure from a spontaneous riff, however others would possibly choose to have extra composed and perfected dishes. Passard’s flavors are straightforward to like, however his types – purée after mousse after velouté, can get a bit lazy.
Learn extra about Our Favourite Three Star Eating places in Paris
84 rue de Varenne, 75007
Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner
Closed Saturday & Sunday
Reservations on-line or at +33 1 45 51 47 33
OUR PHOTOS OF ARPÈGE
Photographs by Meg Zimbeck © Paris by Mouth
IN OTHER WORDS
Patricia Wells (2011) “An enormous disappointment, as soon as once more. We sampled the 120 euro backyard luncheon, and Passard seems to be an actual Johnny one notice within the potager… course after monotonous, unimaginative course turned out a bit greater than I might bear of carrots, beets, turnips, onions. Dish after dish I saved ready for Passard to complete the sentence. However he by no means did.”
Simon Says (2010) “… Passard… cultive lui-même ses légumes non loin de Paris, travaille le thème dans tous les sens, son restaurant est sans doute l’un des meilleurs observatoires sur le thème.”
Chez Ptipois (2009) “… le poème végétal d’Alain Passard s’élève désormais avec une délicatesse infinie, une maîtrise arrivée au stade du jeu everlasting.”
Ulterior Epicure (2009) “… Not often does a chef prepare dinner greens nicely. Even scarcer is a chef who can prepare dinner greens nicely AND do one thing fascinating with them… Passard does each, and extra.”
Meals Snob (2009) “… there’s Passard’s panache and aptitude, his inventive and culinary genius to cope with. That is most keenly felt through his beneficial greens.”
