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Down in the lobby is where food is served. Choose one of two restaurants. There's a pizza bar to the left with high stools and and a restaurant on the other side. I chose to sit in the restaurant. It's a nice place. A low ceiling, half a hundred tables, a thousand items decorate it, writing scrawled all over the ceiling, a bar, an open kitchen and the famous communal table: glass topped with continuous news feeds glowing under the surface. The restaurant also hosts a stage where a band plays every night. It's as dimly lit as all the other parts of the hotel but I like it here.
The restaurant: red candles decorate the black tables, wooden and metallic chairs that are not relaxing at all, several sofas for groups, carpets thrown here and there, three different menus where Mama suggests food and drink and a terrace. I loved the open kitchen and its utensils suspended from all sides.
The menu is developed by Guy Savoie, a triple starred chef. Complicated plates to satisfy all appetites from green salads to sharing platters, chicken and beef, tuna, salmon but no burgers.
The menu sections:
- Our tasty starters
- To share for two or more
- The generous plates
- The mouth-watering desserts
- Desserts to share
The menu is somehow complicated. I expected something different... But lets taste the food.
Dinner started with a basket of chewy bread cut in slices while I waited to be served. I ordered the burrata, a chicken, a piece of salmon with Japanese rice and lentil salad.
The food:
- I started with the 330 gram burrata, a superb plate that looks generous, colorful and rich. An amazing burrata with a molten heart, creamy and flavorful inside out. The cheese ball is served with cherry tomatoes, sea salt and pepper. It's a great way to start your meal! I've had burratas but this one is indeed special. It's sold at €26 and worth every penny. A thin envelope protects a molten heart of fatty milk which will massage your palate. I loved it!
- Warm artichoke exactly like the way we eat them in Lebanon. A huge artichoke with mustard sauce on the side, a ball decorated with sliced radish. Take a leaf at a time, dip it in the mustard vinaigrette and savor the flavor. Bizarre, but enjoyable as a nibble while having a discussion.
- The poulet fermier is to die for! Extremely flavorful with a crunchy skin, covered with sea salt and served with a homemade purée. It's awesome! I loved the potato purée's smoothness and richness, the Dijon sauce, the quality and the generosity of the plate: yummy! The sauce, the chicken's texture, the purée... two thumbs up chef!
- Tuna, a thick piece of tuna "Tonkatsu" served with sticky Japanese rice on the side. It's good, enjoyably crispy, a tender heart but nothing beats my chicken!
Dessert: chocolate crème brûlée. As good as any other crème brûlée. There's an unpleasant excess of sweetness and is served a bit too cold. It is nothing to write home about.
I'd change:
- The restaurant is understaffed. Waiters don't have time to serve all tables.
- The plates need to be cleaned before arriving to the tables. Splashes of oil abound.
Great food is served here. Live music, attentive service, smiley waiters, huge portions and a warm ambiance. Very recommended is the verdict!
