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Le Talleyrand is indeed one of the oldest fine dining restaurants in Beirut. When Le Talleyrand first opened seven years ago, none of the existing fine dining restaurants had seen the light - Chez Sophie, Chez Jean-Claude, La Table Fine and Burgundy where only ideas or concepts.
Le Talleyrand, located in the Kantari area on Fakhr-el-Dine street is a selective high-end restaurant that seats more than 80 persons on the first floor of the L'Orient Le Jour building. It's the restaurant for some regular clients passing-by for their business meetings or family gatherings.
I like this place: simple and clear. The decoration is classical, the lighting is dimmed and cozy, the music is light and relaxing and for the summer time visitors, booking a table on the terrace is a pleasant experience to be enjoyed in the middle of the capital.
I love its menu. One simple paper with a large choice that suits all needs, changed depending on the seasons. This version had some interesting items:
- "Fraicheur d'un pottage en folie"
- "Croquants de legumes a la coriandre avec sa sauce Thai a l'huile d'olive & Soja"
- "Effiloche de crabe royal frais en compagnie d'une remoulade de celeri"
- "Fondue de risotto aux parfums d'ete"
- "Loup de mer sous sa croute de sel, avec puree de pomme de terre"
- "Le talleyrand mini burger"
For this dinner I ordered the fresh crab salad that was beautifully presented followed by the veal chop with a topinambours gratin.
All of us were more than satisfied. The food was just right and delicious. We were six, seated on a rounded table enjoying a delicious red wine (Les Tuilieres, Sancerre 2010) and talking about the funny sides of life while smoking a nice Cuban cigar. The venue is so pleasant that we stayed until midnight.
The most important part of this dinner and the reason that takes me back again to the Talleyrand is its desserts. Sumptuous mouthwatering and exquisite desserts. They prepare the signature in-house Mille Feuille, a big piece that they cut into eight smaller parts shared on the table. Believe me you will never taste something that good. So light and crispy with the adequate quality of sugar to make it extraordinary: It is the best Mille Feuille I have ever tasted. On another hand, the special Pain Perdu is not on a square bread like all others. It reminded me of The Gathering Pain Perdu with only one difference that this one is "finger-licking" delicious all prepared by Chef Assaad Shrem. The waiter mixes in front of you the pain perdu with the caramel sauce before serving it to everyone.
Everything was good, from the valet parking to the welcoming, the waiters, the service, the cutlery and the quality and freshness. If I want to compare it with my favorite restaurant in town that is Chez Sophie, I would state that Le Talleyrand is more accessible to any food lover with its simple and delicious plates as Chez Sophie's dishes are more complicated with more ingredients that call your taste buds to taste and appreciate while closing your eyes. Ending the dinner with the usual Espresso served with some chocolate migniardises, I can state that Le Talleyrand is considered in one of my top five fine dining Lebanese restaurants.
PS: Le Talleyrand chef is Lebanese and providing such a great quality. We should be proud of that.
