THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Restaurant Jean-Francois Piège

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Restaurant Jean-Francois Piège Restaurant Review:

Jean-François Piège, formerly master chef at Hôtel de Crillon and one of the brightest talents of the Ducasse stable, decided to fly on his own, opening a gem of a restaurant seating only twenty-five. This snug place, with thick carpeting, fancy lighting fixtures on the walls and a ceiling inspired by paperclips, is perched on the second floor of the Brasserie Thoumieux, and is accessed via a narrow staircase that also leads to the Hôtel Thoumieux to the right. Turn left and you hit Piège territory, behind a tiny bar, the dining room and the kitchen. The odd bill of fare is based on two “ingredients,” which in Piège’s vocabulary must be synonymous with “courses.” Whatever the translation, the first “ingredient” (for €164) starts with a “nibbling” and proceeds to one course to be chosen among the five dishes on the list, plus cheese from Xavier of Toulouse and a dessert. If you choose two “ingredients” (two courses), the tab will be €184. But it’s not all about the terminology at Piège. The chef’s cuisine is neat and handsome. After the delicious finger food canapés, the justly cooked large deep sea scallop melts in the mouth, perfectly matching a broth of watercress of Ile de France. For carnivores, the tender Bœuf d’Ailleurs (beef from elsewhere; indeed, in this case Chile) is spiced with Madagascar pepper and accompanied by a Roscoff onion purée. An astounding “pomme purée à l’eau” (potato water purée) makes the poularde (fattened chicken) de la Cour d’Armoise a light dish that any cardiologist would recommend. The orange sorbet, the “bugnes” (donut-style), the Victoria pineapple and the chocolate and coffee cake are refined classical desserts. Cool service.