Paris Fine Dining Continued

Saturday, October 16th , 2021

Le Cinq in the George V hotel has chef Christian Le Squer at the helm, recruited some years ago from Ledoyen to regain three Michelin stars for Le Cinq, which he duly did. This was my second visit here and although it felt a little as if the place was coasting, the classic dishes were still dazzling. The spaghetti with ham hock is an all-time great dish, as is the grapefruit millefeuille. Le Cinq has a very ornate dining room with spectacular flower displays, and is a good example of high-end French cuisine.

Le Table by Bruno Verjus has just one star, but that is Michelin’s loss, as it is certainly of a higher standard than that. Bruno Verjus sources some of the very best ingredients that can be found in Paris, presenting them in a lengthy tasting menu in a quite casual setting with an open kitchen. The staff were charming and there were some genuine bargains on the wine list. Although this is an expensive outing, when you taste the food you will see why. A salad at the start of the meal is pictured. 

On this trip to Paris I also tried a trio of highly rated croissants. The croissant at Pierre Herme, which I enjoyed greatly on a previous visit, was oddly ordinary on this trip, despite being served at the same shop (in Rue Bonaparte) that I went to last time. Better was an attractive and excellent croissant from Maison Isabelle, and best of all was one from baker Cyril Lignac. There are many other highly thought-of suppliers that I didn’t get a chance to try; that will have to wait for another trip.