Enthroned in the heart of the Golden Triangle, Le Clarence is nestled in a superb XNUMXth century private mansion. Zoom on this discreet but no less incredible restaurant, with two stars in the Michelin guide.
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A sumptuous setting
At a stone's throw from Champs-Élysées, the entrance to the Clarence is discreet. No ostentatious signs appear… The very definition of true luxury! But once our things left in the cloakroom, we climb the steps of the grand staircase and then discover a universe refined, chic as you wish. Woodwork, moldings, tapestries, chandeliers of yesteryear, period paintings, and other bookcases blend together perfectly, in a sumptuous decor… If the three living rooms are magnificently decorated to recall the Age of Enlightenment, on sunny days, we will prefer them The Clarence Terrace in the restaurant's paved courtyard.
Here, the small fountain in the middle of this bucolic setting plunges us into a romantic atmosphere and intimate...
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Tasty and contemporary cuisine
Once seated, the dishes of our weekly menu - a new tasty and more accessible formula – arrive. They are served “à la française” by attentive staff. As appetizers, we enjoy whole fried prawns, little Comté soufflés and a waffle with buckwheat, burrata, basil and Mediterranean bluefin tuna, our favourite.
Then comes the turbo, served with Paimpol coconut cream, tomato jus, cuttlefish tartare, chervil and tuna bottarga. Here, the mussels are devoured accompanied by a succulent saffron foam and fish stock, the oyster goes well with a potato spaghetti, decorated with a calendula flower, the pan-fried porcini mushrooms go well together (to perfection! ) to a hot oyster and its mushroom emulsion and the boletus ravioli is voluptuously topped with spinach jus, beurre blanc and winkles…
The dishes are obviously accompanied by wines, very precisely selected by the sommelier of the house, Gaetan Lacoste, and until then, we do not detect a single drop in pace in the sequence of these high-flying plates. Then comes the hour of sweets, even if, at this stage, we are already well satisfied!
On the program of delicacies: a very refreshing pineapple granita and sake to set the tone then a marvelous pear sorbet on a fig meringue. Then come the Roasted figs with honey accompanied by their custard, small Basque shortbread, a cabbage with almonds and figs and to finish, Cannoli di Sicilia with ricota and pistachio round off this delicious meal.
It must be said, the contemporary cuisine of Christophe Pelé is frank, creative, full of surprises. The flavors are there and awaken our taste buds in a memorable way… Awarded by two Michelin stars for 2017, we would attribute the last one to him!
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A chef who has worked with the biggest names
Before investing in this sumptuous private mansion, Christophe Pele officiated in the most prestigious Parisian establishments: Ledoyen, Lasserre, Pierre Gagnaire, the Bristol or the Royal Monceau. He opened his restaurant 'La Bigarrade' in 2007 and had time to win 2 Michelin stars, before closing it 6 years later, to fly away to other countries... Following his meeting with Prince Robert de Luxembourg in 2014, Christophe Pelé accepted the position of Deputy Managing Director and Executive Chef of the restaurant Le Clarence, inaugurated in November 2015. Offering a daring, modern and devilishly seductive reinterpretation of the great classics, the chef respects to the letter the philosophy of Domaine Clarence Dillon: "Cultivating tradition without ceasing to innovate".
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An exceptional gastronomic experience
Away from the hustle and bustle of Paris, the experience of a meal at Le Clarence is a wonderful example of 'a parenthesis out of time', provoking a whole host of emotions… In the dining room, the excellence of the service does not exclude conviviality. Here, all the ingredients come together to make the meal a moment of pure pleasure and gastronomic discoveries.
To prolong the moment, have a drink at the bar and before leaving, ask to visit the beautiful vaulted cellar which houses rare wines, grands crus and other popular vintages... You will only come out with more stars in your eyes!
the Clarence, 31 Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 75008 Paris. 01 82 82 10 10
