Maison Ruggieri

Maison Ruggieri opened in October 2022 in the 8th arrondisement, not far from Parc Monceau. The room is at ground level, seating around twenty guests. The dining room has a view into the open kitchen. Chef Martino Ruggieri was chef de cuisine at Pavillon Ledoyen, and also won the Bocuse d’Or Italy cooking competition in 2019. He previously worked with Heinz Beck at Pergola and at Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Paris. Tasting menus were available at either €200 or €300 or there was an a la carte menu with starters €30 - €65, main courses €100 to €110, cheese at €35 and desserts €20 to €30. The menu had quite detailed sections explaining the suppliers used. For example, the bread was made in house using organic flour from Les Moulins de Cherisy, cheese was supplied by nearby Cremerie Delacour in the 8^th arrondisement of Paris, and butter was from Maison Borniambuc in Normandy.

The wine list had around 700 labels. Sample references were L’Oratoire Saint-Martin Cairenne Haut Cousias 2020 at €70 for a bottle that you can find in the high street for €36, Rene et Vincent Dauvissat-Camus Chablis 2022 at €120 compared to its retail price of €124, and Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso 2018 at €120 for a wine that will set you back €49 in the high street. For those with the means there was Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino 2016 at €510 compared to its retail price of €252, and Domaine Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie La Landonne 2020 at €420 for a wine whose current market value is €148. Delamotte was the champagne by the glass.

The meal began with a little tartlet of pear and raspberry, which had delicate pastry, but fruit seems to me a slightly odd selection for a canapé. This was followed by tomato jelly with caviar from Petrossian and artichoke jus. This was nicely presented and was enjoyable, the earthy flavour of the artichoke contrasted by the salinity of the caviar (16/20 canapés). Watermelon (€30) appeared in two forms. It was served grilled alongside sardine and parsley jus, and also appeared marinated with seawater. On the side was a cucumber ice cream with Kalamata olive jus. The sardine itself was very good, the grilled watermelon worked well and the ice cream was quite refreshing (16/20).

Rice pasta (€40) and also orecchiette pasta came with a sauce of beurre blanc and tomato water. A trio of basil madeleines were provided for dipping into the sauce. A little bread crisp was brought on the side. The beurre blanc was magnificent, beautifully rich but lightened a little by the tomato. What was nice was that a little jug of extra sauce was provided, which is such a pleasant change from the artistic smears that sauces seem to have been reduced to in most London restaurants. After I commented that I enjoyed the sauce they brought me some bonus sauce with some baguette bread for dipping, which I thought was a lovely touch (18/20). Artichoke bread, served warm, was made in the kitchen from scratch, as was the baguette. This appeared alongside an intermediate course. This consisted of a little shot glass of artichokes and gin, and a plate of artichoke jus and leaves with foie gras and lardo di Colonata with white chocolate. This was quite rich but had a bitterness that meant it was not overpowering (16/20).

A little loaf of bread made in the kitchen was served warm and served with butter from Normandy. My main course was calf sweetbread (€100). The sweetbread supplier here was Pole Saveur, who source their sweetbreads from top suppliers across France. The chef likes to grill the sweetbreads without the customary preliminary poaching. A salad of lamb brains in yellow wine and mushrooms with a lime dressing came on the side, and the calf sweetbread rested in a jus of veal and red wine. The sweetbread was superb and huge, crisp on the outside but with light, airy texture as you cut into it. The little salad had a sharp dressing that provided balance to the richness of the sweetbread. The sauce was fabulous, intense and clean, and again there was a little dish on the side with extra sauce for dipping with the excellent bread. Perhaps a little greenery in the salad for such a rich dish would have been useful (strong 18/20).

Cheese (€35) was a selection displayed on a board, and included Taleggio. St Nectaire, Camembert, Valence and a goat cheese, a blue cheese from Brittany, Langres and Mimolette.  This was served with a little endive salad, the bitter leaves a good pairing for the cheese, and there was excellent sesame seed bread. The endive salad was a clever touch.

Suzette style taglioni (€20) was flambeed with Grand Marnier and served with honey ice cream. This was very nice and reflects the Italian heritage of the chef, though I think that crepes work better (16/20). Mignardise was brioche offered with sabayon of Marsala and almond with vanilla ice cream. Coffee was from l’Arbre a Cafe by Hippolyte Courty and was from Peru; the beans are delivered weekly. This was excellent coffee. 

My Italian waiter Alex and French waitress Adele were very charming. The bill came to €391 (£326) with some glasses of wine. A typical cost per person who opted for the cheaper menu choices might be around €250 (£208) assuming two people sharing a modest bottle of wine. On Friday lunchtime the restaurant was not quite full, perhaps with the rather tucked away location a factor. Nonetheless this is a lovely restaurant with some high-class cooking. Be aware that Martino Ruggieri will leave the restaurant before the end of 2024. The restaurant will reopen in January, the kitchens to be led by Awa Shintaro, who worked for ten years in the kitchens of Le Bristol, the last years as chef de cuisine of Epicure.