on wednesday, as i arrived very late from my meeting and so i decided to have dinner next door to my hotel at l'atelier de joël robuchon.

a delightful dinner i had, in a very lush atmosphere. the setting is similar to a japanese sushi bar in which we sit at a counter and where you can pretty much see food preparation from their open kitchen. the whole restaurant was dark with lighting focusing on the star of the evening which was the food itself.

for appetizer, i had the bellota jamon with a glass of chateauneuf du pape blanc. not bad a match actually and the jamon was extra-ordinary: savoury, tender, and beautiful on pieces of amazing bread.

for the main, i had an entré of lamb w/ thym. beautifully made with taste that still linger on my tongue... for the wine, i had a croze-hermitage which i do not think was the perfect match.

i speak here of an appetizer and an entré because at l'atelier, it is actually suggested that you eat their tasting menu which is a series of appetizers served tapas style. with a very long list of appetizers on offer, you can design your own delighful menu and enjoy your heart out.

as for the service, it was outstanding, friendly, and very caring. you can definitly feel that mr. robuchon has a very competent and dedicated team working with him.

do not expect to book as they do not accept reservations after 18h30 and so plan for a late dinner when the horde as already left. they only have 42 seats and very regular customers. worth a visit on your next trip to paris.

cick on each photos for a larger version:

L'Atelier Joël Robuchon, Hôtel Pont Royal 5, rue de Montalembert 75007 Paris (+33 1 42 84 70 00)