Paris Restaurant News: Alain Geeam at the Ritz, Jacopo Bistrot Moderne, Jérémie, Hugo&Co, Pancake Sisters

13 March 2018 by Margaret Kemp    1767  
Paris Restaurant News: Alain Geeam at the Ritz, Jacopo Bistrot Moderne, Jérémie, Hugo&Co, Pancake Sisters
Margaret Kemp
By Margaret Kemp
‘When I dream of an afterlife in heaven, the action always takes place at the Ritz Paris.’ -Ernest Hemingway. Alain Geeam at The Ritz Paris Following transformations which closed the iconic hotel for four years (costing €400m), the Executive chef at the Ritz Paris is now Nicolas Sale. A talented, humble, delightful, smiley man, he’s sporting 2 Michelin stars for the gastronomic “La Table de L’Espadon” and 1 * at “Les Jardins de L’Espadon”. “I want to encourage young talent and intend to invite chefs to come and cook at the Ritz,” he explains. Following chef Gennaro Russo of the Italian Hotel Sirenuse, Sale asked Alain Geeam to come by and strut his stuff in the historic kitchens – following in the illustrious footsteps of August Escoffier, Guy Legay and Michel Roth. Need to Know: Lunch by AG (awarded one star in France Michelin Guide 2018) will be served at La Table de l’Espadon from 19-23 March. Reserve on: 01 43 16 33 74. At the time of writing, the price has not been posted, however wines, chosen by head sommelier Estelle Touzet, will be added to your note. At The Ritz Bar – from 19-24th March – chic after-work aperitifs (such as the sublime Serendipity) by Head Mixologist Colin Field (€26) feature a nod and a wink to Geeam’s native Lebanon: houmous with caviar, labneh with truffles, falafel and smoked eel. And, 19th March, book a four-hour session at École Ritz Escoffier with AG followed by dinner with wine pairings (€250). Reserve: 01 43 16 30 50 Diary Date: Pastry Pop-Up On Saturday, April 7th, from 10am to 6 pm, François Perret, Ritz Executive pastry chef, showcases his signatures at Paris’s first pastry concept boutique, Fou de Pâtisserie, located at 45 rue de Montorgueil, the must-visit pedestrian street, where paradise awaits for pastry mavens. The Ritz, Paris, 15 place Vendome, 1st. Metro: Concorde/Opera. Tel: 01 43 16 30 30. Website: www.ritzparis.com Jacopo Bistrot Moderne No Reservations – First come first served! Here’s Jacopo’s mission statement (named in homage to artist Jacopo del Ponte, “called Bassano” because the neo-eatery is on the corner of rues Bassano and Vernet). The hipster Brooklyn style bistrot/wine bar/pool room– open since mid-February– is also handily located behind Louis Vuitton’s flagship on the Champs Elysées. Ticks all the boxes, eh!? You bet! At the helm, Thibault Sombardier (Top Chef winner 2014 in tandem with Kevin d’Andrea, the Michelin * chef at Antoine  and the excellent bistrotheque Mensae in the 19th arrondissement. Service is all day (from 12 noon until 2am) every day. From 3 pm- 8 pm as an after shopping or afterwork experience choose from La Terrine du moment (€6), Goujounette of merlan to dunk in tartare sauce (€7), Avocado cream, salmon eggs (€6), Cod’s roe tarama, poutargue and grated lemon rind (€6) with cocktails or wine. Below stairs the speakeasy style cocktail bar and pool room awaits – pot a few balls while waiting for a table – burn off calories… 5bis rue Vernet, 8th, Metro: George V. No telephone. Website: www.jacopo.fr Jérémie Chef Jérémie Tourdjman sharpened his knives with Alain Ducasse, Monaco at Le Louis XV and in Paris at Alain Dutournier’s Carré des Feuillants and Christian Constant’s “Le Violon d’Ingres”, before setting up his eponymous address on rue de Longchamp in the former Passiflore created by Roland Durand. There’s a buzz of culinary anticipation in the 60-seat dining room, its walls punctuated with eclectic art work precious to the chef (Bob Marley, etc) and interesting pieces for sale by www.madart.co.uk Jérémie’s seasonal menu of the moment includes starters of transparent langoustine ravioli with tarragon and bisque ‘Americain’ Tiger prawns, ‘Russian salad’, vegetables : tangy ceviché of sea bream and avocado mousseline paired with a glass of 2014 Domaine de L’Arjolle Viognier Sauvignon Blanc (€7). Then roasted crispy skin cod, endives braised with bitter orange or pan fried Saint Jacques d’Erquy scallops plus poached endive. There’s parsley spiked veal and smashed potatoes, chicken with mushrooms; tagliatelle and foie gras and rack of Pyrénées lamb paired with aubergine cannelloni; or creamy risotto with vintage parmesan and vegetables (Savigny-les-Beaunes ‘Les Ratusses’ (€10). Discuss wine pairings with restaurant manager Guillaume Wuillamier. We loved the perfectly ripe truffled Brie de Meaux and dessert New York-style, dark and complex, chocolate cookie / Bourbon vanilla rum chantilly baba – and will return for the mile high millefeuille. Lunch and dinner, formula €46 euros. A La Carte average spend about €55. 33 rue de Longchamp, 16th. Metro: Boissière/Trocadero. Tel: 01 47 04 96 81. Closed Saturday lunch & Sunday. Terrace – Valet Parking. Website: www.restaurantjeremie.com Hugo&Co – just open When Tomy Gousset of Tomy&Co was searching for a second address he discovered Casa Hugo, in the buzzing rue Monge, was for sale. “I saw this as a sign because I had already decided to name it after our son Hugo”, he explains. And so Tomy (who honed his craft with top chefs such as Yannick Alleno, Daniel Boulud and Alain Soliverès) has launched the 30-seater Hugo&Co with rustic chic contemporary decor by architect Richard Lafond (who created the stylish atmosphere at Tomy&Co). The first seasonal menus showcase sharing dishes taking inspiration from Spanish tapas, Cambodian, English and Brooklyn style cuisine and of course fresh vegetables from Tomy’s potager at Château de Courances, via Tomato&Co, bread’s by Jean-Luc Poujauran and the wines/cocktails/mixologie orchestrated by super somm Micaël Morais –  average spend about €35 – see you there! 48 rue Monge, 5th. Metro: Cardinal Lemoine. Terrace for sunny days. Tel: 09 53 92 62 77 Tomy Gousset by…
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By Margaret Kemp

Born in Hampton, Middlesex, UK, Margaret Kemp is a lifestyle journalist, based between London, Paris and the world. Intensive cookery courses at The Cordon Bleu, London, a wedding gift from a very astute ex-husband, gave her the base that would take her travelling (leaving the astute one behind) in search of rare food and wine experiences, such as the vineyards of Thailand, 'gator hunting in South Florida, learning to make eye-watering spicy food in Kerala;pasta making in a tiny Tuscany trattoria. She has contributed to The Guardian, The Financial Times Weekend and FT. How To Spend It.com, The Spectator, Condé Nast Traveller, Food & Travel, and Luxos Magazine. She also advises as consultant to luxury hotels and restaurants. Over the years, Kemp has amassed a faithful following on BonjourParis. If she were a dish she'd be Alain Passard's Millefeuille “Caprice d'Enfant”, as a painting: Manet’s Dejeuner sur l’herbe !