Post by anneparis on Jun 22, 2007 7:52:24 GMT -5
Yesterday Hubby and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary at "Le Pré Catelan" . We chose this restaurant because it was where our wedding reception took place 12 yrs ago.
Oh my god, it was somptuous ! The place (in Bois de Boulogne, so in the middle of a wonderful park), in a beautiful historic mansion, the very stylish Service (but not cold, quite friendly and funny actually), the Champagne and the Food, everything was outstanding !!! We chose the 140 euros menu and it was the absolute perfection. Of course it was pricey but so worth every single bite. It is a moment of pure bliss that you have once or twice in your life. This place is perfect to celebrate a special event . And for lunch during weekdays, they have a 75 euros menu which sounded fabulous too.
First the waiter comes with a cart full of different kinds of breads and you can choose as many as you want.
2 different kinds of butter were served (salted and unsalted) and both Hubby and I were amazed how "carameley" both butters tasted. I really wonder how they do that...
We started with a glass of Champagne ( a Gosset 99), served with 3 kinds of nuts (cashews in paprika, hazelnuts in caramel and sesame seeds, and pecans in curry).
Then we were served an amuse-bouche consisting of cold onion foam in a warm pea soup. The taste was absolutely incredible, you could guess that the very best produces were used. And the foam was not bland as in the new trendy restaurants, it really tasted like onion !!
Our appetizer was étrille (small crab) and tourteau (large crab). The étrille was stuffed with its own flesh and a light sauce, and coated with a fine coral jelly and caviar. In another plate, we had a fennel soup in which were floating 2 tourteau rolls wrapped in seaweed and topped with orange sauce.
Then we had langoustine (kind of small lobster) : one in the form of a ravioli in an olive oil broth, topped with a pepper and mint foam, 3 others in a different plate, wrapped in brick pastry (kind of phylo pastry), that you could dip in 2 sauces (asian style sauce with roasted peanuts, and lettuce-based sauce ).
Followed by ris de veau for me (veal sweetbreads) and lamb cutlets for Hubby. I don't even have words to describe what an explosion of flavours my ris de veau was. I had 2 nice pieces, with morel sauce on side and a cinnamon flavoured celery purée served apart. A pure delight ! On the edges of the celery purée plate, the Chef displayed tempura fried edible flowers (capucine and garlic flowers). It was gorgious and excellent.
Then a full cart of cheese (about 30 different sorts). I had 4 kinds of cheese : a maroille, an époisse, a fresh goat cheese and a brie. All wonderful and made by local cheese artisan, of course. Served with wonderful breads again.
The dessert was around the coffee theme. It was a nice verrine ( small glass) filled with different layers of coffee sabayon, chocolate ganache, crème brulée ice cream, and roasted almonds. But the best part, was that the verrine itself was actually edible because made with crystallized sugar. So you could eat both the containt and the container. Isn't it great ??
We finished with a cart of "all you can eat" mignardises (fruit tarlets, candied fruits, chocolate ganaches, different kinds of nougats,...) that we enjoyed with our expresso coffee.
What a blast ! We arrived at 12.30 and left at 3 pm. Hubby and I were totally happy with our choice. I highly recommend this restaurant, you will spend a wonderful moment that will probably be the highlight of your trip. And as the restaurant is in a park, you feel like you are on the countryside, not at all in a big city.
If you think it is too pricey, go there on weekdays for lunch and chose the 75 euros menus. You won't regret it.
Their website : www.precatelanparis.com/
Beware : restaurant closed in august and september for renovation.
Oh my god, it was somptuous ! The place (in Bois de Boulogne, so in the middle of a wonderful park), in a beautiful historic mansion, the very stylish Service (but not cold, quite friendly and funny actually), the Champagne and the Food, everything was outstanding !!! We chose the 140 euros menu and it was the absolute perfection. Of course it was pricey but so worth every single bite. It is a moment of pure bliss that you have once or twice in your life. This place is perfect to celebrate a special event . And for lunch during weekdays, they have a 75 euros menu which sounded fabulous too.
First the waiter comes with a cart full of different kinds of breads and you can choose as many as you want.
2 different kinds of butter were served (salted and unsalted) and both Hubby and I were amazed how "carameley" both butters tasted. I really wonder how they do that...
We started with a glass of Champagne ( a Gosset 99), served with 3 kinds of nuts (cashews in paprika, hazelnuts in caramel and sesame seeds, and pecans in curry).
Then we were served an amuse-bouche consisting of cold onion foam in a warm pea soup. The taste was absolutely incredible, you could guess that the very best produces were used. And the foam was not bland as in the new trendy restaurants, it really tasted like onion !!
Our appetizer was étrille (small crab) and tourteau (large crab). The étrille was stuffed with its own flesh and a light sauce, and coated with a fine coral jelly and caviar. In another plate, we had a fennel soup in which were floating 2 tourteau rolls wrapped in seaweed and topped with orange sauce.
Then we had langoustine (kind of small lobster) : one in the form of a ravioli in an olive oil broth, topped with a pepper and mint foam, 3 others in a different plate, wrapped in brick pastry (kind of phylo pastry), that you could dip in 2 sauces (asian style sauce with roasted peanuts, and lettuce-based sauce ).
Followed by ris de veau for me (veal sweetbreads) and lamb cutlets for Hubby. I don't even have words to describe what an explosion of flavours my ris de veau was. I had 2 nice pieces, with morel sauce on side and a cinnamon flavoured celery purée served apart. A pure delight ! On the edges of the celery purée plate, the Chef displayed tempura fried edible flowers (capucine and garlic flowers). It was gorgious and excellent.
Then a full cart of cheese (about 30 different sorts). I had 4 kinds of cheese : a maroille, an époisse, a fresh goat cheese and a brie. All wonderful and made by local cheese artisan, of course. Served with wonderful breads again.
The dessert was around the coffee theme. It was a nice verrine ( small glass) filled with different layers of coffee sabayon, chocolate ganache, crème brulée ice cream, and roasted almonds. But the best part, was that the verrine itself was actually edible because made with crystallized sugar. So you could eat both the containt and the container. Isn't it great ??
We finished with a cart of "all you can eat" mignardises (fruit tarlets, candied fruits, chocolate ganaches, different kinds of nougats,...) that we enjoyed with our expresso coffee.
What a blast ! We arrived at 12.30 and left at 3 pm. Hubby and I were totally happy with our choice. I highly recommend this restaurant, you will spend a wonderful moment that will probably be the highlight of your trip. And as the restaurant is in a park, you feel like you are on the countryside, not at all in a big city.
If you think it is too pricey, go there on weekdays for lunch and chose the 75 euros menus. You won't regret it.
Their website : www.precatelanparis.com/
Beware : restaurant closed in august and september for renovation.