Incredible Yannick Alléno: six stars at Pavillon Ledoyen

Yannick Alléno, one of the key-players in the French haute cuisine, does not cease to surprise: after conquering the most demanding clients in Dubai, Marrakech, Courchevel and Seoul, the chef is back in Paris to reinforce his kingdom at Pavillon Ledoyen, where he created a third restaurant, Pavyllon.

Opened a few months ago on the first floor of the legendary Pavillon, the restaurant is already in the Red Guide, where it conquered its first Michelin star. Hence, Pavillon Ledoyen now has 6 stars under the same roof: on top of the new one, there are also the three stars given to Alléno Paris with its neoclassic cuisine, and the two given to L’Abysse, serving Japanese cuisine.

Pavyllon, instead, is a comptoir gastronomique, that is to say a restaurant that focuses on the experience by the counter. So clients become the real protagonists of their culinary experience. The 30 places facing the kitchen allow clients to be fully involved in all that’s happening: no detail will go unnoticed. Plus the concept of comptoirallows guests to approach Alléno’s haute cuisine and have them experience moments that are even more emotionally intense.

The culinary offer at Pavyllon is very bizarre. Alléno decides not to renounce to his French roots, thus preserving the connection with that school; but he bravely adds some special touches too: a very light vegetal tempura;teppanyakicuisine, that is to say cooked on the teppan, a special hot metal grill; as well as Nordic and Italian influences. Hence is fully able to create a new interpretation of modern French cuisine; lively and without any cliché whatsoever.

The offer includes an à la carte menu and different tasting menus (among the latter, a special and shorter option for lunch, served in one hour). In the evening there are two tasting menus: the 5-course Aux Champs-Élysées and the 7-course Pavyllon, which was our choice.

With a glass of Champagne for the aperitif, we were served an amuse bouche made with cream of artichokes and home-made bread sticks. Then, Game terrine with gelatine served with baguette bread: a real French classic. Then a quenelle: but not the traditional one of fish, but one with scallops, broth of champignon de Paris, thus a great French iconic dish reinterpreted with an extremely elegant taste (Alléno offers this variation on the above floor too, at tri-starred Alléno Paris). This first part of the dinner ends with Spinach roll with ricotta and smoked baccalà: in this case the chef decided to follow the trend and offer something healthy, not very formal, which you can eat with your hands.

The following dish was Turbot, razor clams and chives: a dish that perfectly describes Alléno’s style of cooking, always elegant and full of flavours. To continue, they serve a marvellous wagyu Strogonoff steak cooked on the teppan, with crispy potatoes, marinated pepper and paprika. The flavour is absolutely exceptional. With the meat, they serve a small plate of perfectly fried vegetables.

For the dessert, instead, they first serve a Biscuit with milk foam, pear, and vanilla: a light cake that plays with the cold of the milk foam and the hot biscuit, it’s like eating a glace plombières. Second tasting: Chocolate crémeux with a tuille of buckwheat and butter: a much stronger taste. Theatrically, they also serve a sweet wine in a large carafe.

Speaking of wine: the menu has no special focus on French wines, which are equally matched by the Italian wines, both from small and big producers, more or less known. 

In general, one can say that Alléno has perfectly understood what today’s clients want. Pavyllon is a restaurant you could call trendy, fashionable; but you certainly won’t give up on great food. A very elegant, chic offer, not at all old fashioned.

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso