Le Relais Plaza

So, what is there to say about this strange transfer of power at the Relais Plaza, between Alain Ducasse (Le Louis XV in Monaco, Le Meurice in Paris and thirty-some other spots around the world) and Jean Imbert (L’Acajou, Mamie)? Let’s start with all the things that haven’t changed: a grandiose art deco space, outstanding service, customers dressed to the nines, and chefs from the old kitchen brigade, including the pastry chef Angelo Musa. And then all the things that have changed: a rotating weekly menu (porcini mushroom omelets on Mondays, curried mussels on Friday, etc.) and a menu, crafted in conjunction with executive chef Jocelyn Herland, composed of bistro classics (leeks in vinaigrette, herrings and oiled potatoes, steak tartare with Pont Neuf potatoes; veal sweetbread and vegetables in a vin jaune blanquette sauce…), alongside shared dishes (crusted bass with Choron sauce, whole spit-roasted chicken with mashed potatoes). For us, the day we went for lunch: sucrine lettuce from the Perche department braised on the barbecue; langoustines in a yuzu sauce with a portion of rich mayonnaise of the side; spider crab that appeared to be prepared whole on the menu, but which arrived as a miniature portion of crab en gelée; creamy Grand Roux corn polenta with porcini mushrooms… And for dessert? Kudos to the extremely comforting chocolate soufflée tart with vanilla ice cream! // Nour Ghanem

FEELING THIRSTY? A wine list like you would expect from a five-star hotel restaurant: a glass of Grande Réserve Henri Bourgeois Sancerre for €20, a bottle of Les Longeroies Marsannay from the Domaine Jean Fournier for €120, a 1er cru Vaillons Chablis for €126 or a Château Pétrus 1995 for… €6,800.
PRICE: À la carte €53-126.