What an amazing experience. We’ve been to *** and ** restaurants in North America before, but nothing compares. The service was impeccable—not stuffy at all, very warm and friendly. In particular, I was shocked at the difference between epicure and Le Bernardin, as they are both *** but the latter was very underwhelming in terms of both food and especially hospitality.
In terms of cost, we were a bit apprehensive of how expensive the *** restaurants were in Paris, but after having experienced it, it was definitely worth it. Three of my dishes had VERY generous shavings of truffle, including white truffle. And the caviar dish was a standout. Easily our favorite from the tasting menu. The quality and generosity of the ingredients justified the cost to us.
They also let you swap out the hen main course for a different dish so you can have variety at the table so my partner got the pigeon which was fantastic.
The cheese table and macaroon selection were great additions. Very fun to learn about the different cheeses and select offerings to try.
We left feeling very full and happy! Strongly recommend the tasting over the a la carte, both in terms of value and experience.
For comparison, we thought it was interesting to contrast with Septime and Atomix. Septime was interesting, as the flavours were quite unique but it was very vegetable forward, which we did not find as satisfying. (Although the wine tasting is fantastic at Septime, great selections; we did not drink at epicure). Epicure managed to strike the right balance between uniqueness of flavor and yummy tastes, whereas some of the food at Septime was interesting but not necessarily delicious. And for Atomix, we loved how delicious the food was and the general concept/space. It was a unique experience. But we were surprised at how much we loved the more classic style of epicure, and how they were able to elevate such standard fine dining ingredients like langoustine and scallop. This may not be relevant information for you, but we found this comparison interesting to chat about. We expected the more establishment restaurants to feel outdated but that was not the case at all. We were very impressed, and it’s clear why they remain at the top of their game even against more contemporary competitors.
by coastalsempervirens
5 Comments
I’m going next month and reading your review made me even more excited now! Thank you!
What is this place called?
Great write up. I agree, Epicure is the standard which I judge all *** by now. They are incredible!
Did they let you tour the cellar and kitchens? If not, be sure to ask next time
Any 3* in Paris takes serious beating, but Epicure and Plenitude really seem to have been leading them in the last year or so.
Glad it was so special for you, OP.
That looks perfect, including the space, lighting and everything. Holy hell.