XVII PARIS INSIDER’S GUIDE
LE FRANK
Fondation Louis Vuitton. 8, avenue Mahatma Gandhi,
bois de Boulogne, 16th.
Tel. 0158442570. http://restaurantlefrank.fr- Noon to 4pm•7pm to 10pm Friday and Saturday,
Wednesday and Thursday, dinner on reservation.
Closed Tuesday•Average price:€60.
Our first encounter with Jean-Louis Nomicos dates back
more than twenty years, when he ran the kitchen of a chic
restaurant in the Bois de Boulogne and concocted a
remarkable macaroni with foie gras and truffles, a signature
dish that still features on the menu of his two-star restaurant
on Avenue Bugeaud. A talent that led Bernard Arnault to
entrust him with the keys to his Fondation Louis Vuitton
restaurant the perfect way to attract Parisian and inter-
national jet-setters visiting the superb vessel of glass among
the trees. The menu has nothing but beautiful, tasty dishes,
like the flawlessly pan-fried prawns with crunchy vegetables,
turmeric, pear and kale (€28), the remarkable turbot, sliced
nice and thick and perfectly cooked to a pearly white, served
with bok choy, wakame and ginger confit (€35), and last
but not least the exquisite thin-crust lemon tart (€14). Come
sunny weather, we will happily move from the monumental
dining room decorated with colorful hanging fish lamps and
settle onto the superb terrace with seating for 40 that opens
onto the wood with a view of the Jardin d'Acclimatation.
LA 8 IÉNA HÔTEL SHANGRI-LA
10, avenue d’Iéna, 8th. Tel. 0153671991.
http://www.shangri-la.com/paris/shangrila- Noon to 3pm and 7pm to 10:30pm•Open daily•Average price:€75.
Christophe Moret, the brilliant chef who already demonstrated the wealth of his talent at
Lasserre, really bowled us over with his elegant and sophisticated cuisine, which easily
puts L’Abeille among the top 15 Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris. Our experience began
on the seasonal terrace at La 8 Iéna, open from May to September. We thoroughly enjoyed
its chic but not stilted setting, with tables in the shade of large white parasols and sheltered
from the avenue by a curtain of greenery. It's already become a lunchtime hotspot for the
business crowd who come to soak up the summer atmosphere and enjoy a pleasant fusion
meal from the short menu featuring a nice mix in the same vein as La Bauhinia. Take for
example the elegant yam som’o salad with grapefruit, shrimp, cilantro, peanuts and lime
in a spicy vinaigrette. We then recommend trying the succulent beef in a Thai BBQ sauce,
served with wok-sautéed green vegetables and coconut rice. The Ciflorette strawberry tart
with bergamot custard makes the perfect finishing touch.
L’OISEAU BLANC
Hôtel Peninsula-Paris. 19, avenue Kléber, 16th.
Tel. 0158126730. http://paris.peninsula.com- Noon to 2:30pm and 7pm to 10:30pm•Open daily
- Valet parking•Average price:€80.
Located on the seventh floor of the hotel, L’Oiseau Blanc
boasts a 360-degree view of the capital city’s most
famous monuments and a genuine biplane suspended
over one of the hotel courtyards. Since the owner of the
Peninsula hotel group is an aviation enthusiast, the
restaurant features a number of details recalling man’s
conquest of the skies, such as the engraving of a biplane
flying across each plate. Seated in a large atrium, guests
enjoy elegant and authentically French cuisine. Each day,
chef Sidney Redel, under the direction of executive chef
Jean-Edern Hurstel, elaborates a menu of revisited and
reinterpreted traditional dishes. He gives free rein to his
creativity while giving preference to the freshest seasonal
products like the Breton langoustine, the braised Saint-
Sever Guinea fowl, or the thick slice of roast sea bass
with poutargue (salted, cured fish roe). A selection of
desserts by pastry chef Julien Alvarez provides the fin-
ishing touch to the meal. Come sunny days, the rooftop
terrace of L’Oiseau Blanc is one of the most sought-after
locations in the city thanks to its breathtaking view. There
are several prix-fixe menus at lunch time at€57 and
€69, and Dinner Time at€109.
© ANTONIO SABA.© JORDANE DEVOS.
© LOUIS MARIE DAUZAT.圀漀爀氀搀䴀愀最猀⸀渀攀琀圀漀爀氀搀䴀愀最猀⸀渀攀琀