Clarence

Clarence Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Domaine Clarence Dillon, the vineyards that owned the appellations Haut-Brion, Mission Haut-Brion and Quintus, opened the restaurant Clarence near the Champs-Elysées. One notes the quaint contrast between the old-fashioned décor and the innovative cuisine of chef Christophe Pelé, formerly at La Bigarrade. The main dining room is bedecked with thick carpeting, old portraits on the walls, a chandelier, majestic drapes, a wooden library and huge windows facing Le Grand Palais.

Likes: Exceptional wine list; well-trained waitstaff.
Dislikes: Old-fashioned décor; the fact that the menu is imposed.

Food & Drinks: As to the cuisine, just enjoy the menu carte blanche, as the chef chooses the dishes for you. The fare turns out to be very elaborate, with a lot of ingredients and surprising combinations of tastes. It may at times look uselessly complicated but nonetheless bears witness to the immense technique of Pelé. Pan-seared red mullet is served with beans, bacon, fried chili pepper, Japanese karashi mustard and eggplant. Whisky deglazed Scottish grouse is accompanied with souffléed potatoes, mushrooms and, on a separate plate, marbled beef with béarnaise sauce and tonka beans. End on a sweet note with the well-crafted dessert, a cheesecake flavored with apple and lemon cream and sided by pear sherbet and chestnut cream. Impeccable service and exceptional wine list, with many prestigious Bordeaux from the Domaine Clarence Dillon vineyards as well as rare Burgundies.