L'Ambroisie - Bernard & Mathieu Pacaud - Paris, France

I was back in Paris for work again last month and decided to check out L'Ambroisie, a Michelin 3-Star restaurant located less than a block from our hotel in the Place des Vosges. That it was so close to our hotel intrigued us because we've spent a fair amount of time in the Marais over our past few visits to Paris but L'Ambroisie was not on our radar at all until we did a bit of research. When we realized how close it was to where we were staying, that it had 3 stars and that it was a small, intimate place (in contrast to most of the other 3-star places we've tried in Paris), we decided to make it the one starred restaurant we visited on this trip (there was another, Le Cinq, which has 2 stars but one of our vendors chose it and took us there).

This was incredibly old school. The room we were in (there appeared to be 2 dining rooms) was indeed small and very hushed. It was classically decorated, immaculately clean and in pristine condition. A few other parties were seated near us and at first, I almost felt bad talking to my wife for fear of disturbing the other diners around us. After a while, and a glass of champagne, we relaxed a bit and actually dared to speak to each other.

Service was formal and notably polished but also helpful and not uptight. Unlike at many other places I've experienced in Paris, the staff here seemed to really wanted to conduct business in French. That was fine with us. I can read menu French well enough and my wife can converse a bit. Communication between us was not unimpeded but it was good enough. And, having it all happen in French really added to the fun of the experience for me personally. I don't expect to speak English everywhere I go but my previous trips to Paris led me to believe that experiences like this just didn't happen anymore. The meal was spectacular, with every detail appearing to be thought out intensely and execution just about flawless. Here are some photos of what we ate, with descriptions, in French, taken directly from the menu. For items not on the menu, I've listed descriptions in English . . .


L'Ambroisie - 9 Place des Vosges, 75004 Paris



Paprika-Cheese Bread (amuse)
I got the feeling that this light, crispy and short bread was baked in a miniature bundt pan and sliced into wedges for service.



"White" Bread
2 rolls we selected from the cart. The non-white bread not chosen was multi-grain.



Amuse of Crispy Red Snapper with Squash Puree
There was also a sauce but other than it being lip-smacking delicious, I have no idea what it was.



Blanc-Manger d'Oeuf Mollet a la Truffe Blanche d'Alba, Emulsion d'Cepes
Yeah, pretty awesome. Runny farm eggs, white truffles, emulsified cepes . . . what's not to like?



Corolle De Noix De Saint-Jacques et Broccoli a la Truffe Blanche d'Alba
One of the most beautifully composed dishes I've ever been served and absolutely delicious, too. Underneath the ring, was a garlicky parsley pesto. Unreal.



Viennoise De Saint-Pierre Sauce Genevoise, Puree De Celeri-Rabe et Pomme Fruit
We were each served a portion of this delectable, perfectly cooked John Dory.



Tableside Service
I sense something good is coming . . .



Cote De Veau De Lait Glacee Au Jus, Rotie d'Artichauts Violets a la Truffe Blanche d'Alba
This was presented (in a copper roasting pan so clean, it was obvious the dish wasn't cooked in it) before being carved tableside. Better than the sum of its parts, even the roasted potato adorned with artichokes was amazing. The veal, complete with fatty sections, was stunningly delicious. I loved using the roasted garlic cloves as a condiment. I was very sorry I was getting full.



Roasted Bresse Chicken with Cepes (raw and roasted) and Walnuts
We almost avoided ordering this because it was largely breast but then wisely figured that at a place like this, they'd probably nail the cooking. They did. This was juicy and succulent. What a shame that we were too full finish either main course and had to leave them behind.



Souffle Chaud Au Pralin, Coulis De Mangue Au Kirsch De Fougerolles
When in Paris . . .



Tarte Fine Sablee Au Cacao Amer, Creme Glacee Au Moka
Our server insisted that this was very light and that we must order it. It was great and thankfully, we had no 'wafer thin' moment.



Mignardises
Other than delicious, I'm not sure what these specifically were. The back ones had apple and the middle ones had chocolate and hazelnut.



Chocolates

=R=

L'Ambroisie
9 Place des Vosges
75004 Paris, France
+33 1 42 78 51 45

Wow, that's something Ronnie! Somehow I've never noticed the place... but obviously, *next* time, do it!

A place I've eaten a couple of times (but not for a while, so maybe I'm out-of-date) on Place-des-Vosges is Ma Bourgogne. Most likely, you've already tried it. Is it (still) first-rate? Had the best tripes à la mode Caen there I've ever had. Ummm.

Geo
PS. If I might ask, how pricey was your dinner, just ballpark?

Are you kidding me?!!! Absolutely stunning photos, Ronald. I've happily looked over this post twice now to note the amazing attention to detail and thoughtfulness executed for each and every dish shown.

Thanks for posting.

Pigmon said it all. That room is so beautiful and formal-I would be so nervous to dine there in fear we would do EVERYTHING wrong. Plus having to do it in French-ooh la la! Great post and pictures.

Geo wrote:Wow, that's something Ronnie! Somehow I've never noticed the place... but obviously, *next* time, do it!

A place I've eaten a couple of times (but not for a while, so maybe I'm out-of-date) on Place-des-Vosges is Ma Bourgogne. Most likely, you've already tried it. Is it (still) first-rate? Had the best tripes à la mode Caen there I've ever had. Ummm.

Geo
PS. If I might ask, how pricey was your dinner, just ballpark?

No, I've never been to Ma Bourgogne but I do know of it . . . maybe next time. I'm pretty sure it's still there. And yes, that entire square of buildings around the Place des Vosges seems to be filled with all sorts of gems hiding in plain sight. All the facades are essentially identical but within, there are a varied number of eateries, shops, galleries, hotels, etc. We've stayed there a couple of times now and we're still discovering all sorts of cool places.

Keep in mind that white truffles from Alba drove the price of this meal up quite a bit. All in, it was about $1,200 for the 2 of us. Had we not opted for the multiple truffle courses, it would have been closer to $900. And that was with only 1 half-bottle of Montrachet and 3 glasses of wine (2 champagne, 1 dessert).

Once you get into 3-Star territory, there aren't very many bargains to be had . . . especially in Paris.

=R=