On a recent trip to Paris we visited 1 Place Vendôme restaurant located just off the famous Vendôme Square. This restaurant is small and intimate and located on the first floor of the Hotel Vendôme. Serving up fine French cuisine, we had heard great things about this restaurant and could not wait to sample its delights ourselves.
Upon arrival we were greeted and shown to our table where we were introduced to our waiter. The team here have perfected the art of fine hospitality, and they really made the experience a very special one indeed.
Le 1 Place Vendôme serves up wonderful, seasonal cuisine of exceptionally high quality. The menu has been perfectly put together by Head Chef Josselin Marie, who is the brainchild behind the excellent reputation this restaurant has achieved.
Naturally we were drawn to the tasting menu, being able to sample the chef’s own favourite creations is a wonderful way of really getting right to the soul of a restaurant; and we were certainly not disappointed at 1 Place Vendôme.
Before embarking on our culinary journey we enjoyed two fine glasses of Champagne Henriot Brut Rosé. This certainly hit the spot, with its intense fruity aroma, yet delicate, clean taste with a long finish. It set the tone perfectly for what was to come.
“1 Place Vendôme serves up wonderful, seasonal cuisine of exceptionally high quality.”
For our first course we enjoyed le crabe des neiges, lentilles, crevettes grise, - snow crab and prawns - which was served with a glass of the Bergerac blanc, Château Monestier 2015. The subtle sweetness of the shellfish paired with the chilled, acidic, fruity wine offered a very strong start to our dining experience, and certainly left us wanting for more.
Luckily, it wasn’t long before we were sampling the next course, le Verger et l’Estran, légumes, fruits, algues - vegetables served with fruit and algae – paired with a glass of Gewurztraminer Domaine Weinbach 2012. The intense citrusy palate of the wine finished with a delightful sweetness to perfectly accentuate the flavours of this dish. It was simple, yet wonderfully executed.
Our next course was le cerf epices, marrons, salsifis - venison with chestnut and spices, which was paired with a glass of the St-Joseph Maison Denuziere 2010. Again, this dish was amazingly well put together, with wonderfully rich flavours.
We then moved on to la pomme, caramel, fromage blanc - apple, caramel and white cheese, which was paired with Manzana Verde. The green apple liqueur was a welcomed addition to this dish, and although something we would not necessary have sampled otherwise, it left a wonderful taste in our mouths.
The final sweet offering saw cassis, marron, vanilla - Mont Blanc blackcurrant, chestnut and vanilla. This dish was served with a glass of the Champagne Henriot Brut Rosé once more, which truly rounded off our evening in the most elegant way possible, and brought us back full-circle to the beginning of our evening.
Being in Paris, you really are spoilt for choice for places to dine - restaurants must have a point of difference and be able to step up to compete with so much competition, 1 Place Vendôme failed to disappoint and really is a strong contender in the city of Paris.
The Bill: £73 per head
