Le Gabriel - La Réserve Paris

Just a well-heeled step from the Champs-Élysées, this restaurant is set in the swish, swanky La Réserve, a 19C Napoleon III-style mansion refurbished by renowned interior designer, Jacques Garcia. The dining room is clad in magnificent materials, such as Spanish gilt leather and Versailles parquet flooring. Jérôme Banctel affirms his distinctive culinary personality with two tasting menus: "Virée", a tribute to his native Brittany, and "Périple", an invitation to travel the world – taking in Japan, as well as Turkey, where the chef discovered the incomparable textures produced by cooking in limewater; there is also a game menu in season and an à la carte lineup at lunchtime. This high-flying score gives rise to a vast range of sensations and flavours – from tart and sweet and sour to spicy and briny. The chef’s talent as a cosmopolitan alchemist enables him to draw everything together harmoniously. The full-bodied, concentrated sauces embody his high-flying culinary art in such a way that it appears disarmingly effortless. A quintessential fine dining experience in a setting with a sense of occasion.