The French didn’t invent the long lunch — they just perfected it. On a recent outing in Paris, we put that theory to the test at two five-star hotel restaurants, one tucked into the historic Marais and one steps from the designer boutiques of Rue Saint-Honoré. The verdict: two courses minimum, and clear your afternoon.
Anne
Tucked away in the historic Place des Vosges, the first public square of Paris built in 1612, La Pavillon de la Reine Hotel was once the private home of Queen Anne of Austria. Launched in the early 2000s, Pavillon de la Reine was the first five-star hotel to open in the trendy and popular Marais district.
Its appropriately named restaurant, Anne, recently received a one-star Michelin rating under the helm of Chef Thibault Sombardie, along with executive chef Matthieu Pirola.
The intimate dining room, seating just 20 people, is sumptuously decorated with wood-paneled walls, pink velvet swivel chairs, taupe velvet banquettes, and black-and-white geometrical carpeting.
We chose the three-course menu ($92.50, with a four-course option available for $104), starting with trout gravlax garnished with thinly sliced potatoes and cucumbers, alongside a salad of ribbons of yellow beets. For the main course, thick, plump scallops — slightly rich but very satisfying — arrived with braised cabbage and a delicate parsley butter that lightened the dish beautifully. Our other main, a deboned farm-raised quail with foie gras stuffing, was surprisingly light. They saved the best for last: a roasted pear mousse with chunks of diced pears, honey, and chestnuts, served atop a bed of pear sorbet. Absolute heaven, and a light, perfect ending to the meal.
28 Place des Vosges, 75003
Le Charles
Le Burgundy is an elegant, contemporary five-star hotel housed in a classic Haussmann-style building from 1850. Its location, between Place de la Madeleine and Place Vendôme, is ideal for shopping the designer boutiques along Rue Saint-Honoré, as well as museums and upscale restaurants.
The hotel has two restaurants: the formal Le Baudelaire, which holds one Michelin star and serves dinner only, and Le Charles, the more casual restaurant and bar, open all day and into the evening.
We dined at Le Charles, and it was a delightful experience we highly recommend.
The sumptuous dining room pays homage to France’s most beloved poet and writer, Charles Baudelaire, with a hand-painted ceiling featuring illustrations etched in gold and drawn from Baudelaire’s works, silk-upholstered club chairs, gold veneer tabletops, and soft brocade drapes.
It was a cold, blustery day, and the butternut squash soup with coconut milk and kaffir lime was just what we needed. The main course of juicy poularde — a special grade of French chicken — served with roasted pumpkin wedges and coriander was hearty without being heavy.
Dessert was a marvelous reimagining of the classic Opéra cake: intensely coffee-flavored layers of sponge cake and chocolate, topped with waves of coffee buttercream icing. Looking more like a contemporary art sculpture, pastry chef Léandre Vivier has made dessert into an art form. His creations are also available during a special afternoon tea service.
Le Charles at Le Burgundy Paris
6-8 Rue Duphot, 75001
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