Le Petit Bordelais via idealgourmet.fr

Paris is full of hot restaurants, but if you’re looking for something extraordinary, try a gastronomic restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef. Le Petit Bordelais in the seventh arrondissement near the Eiffel Tower showcases the best of Bordeaux with Chef Philippe Pentecôte recreating classic haute cuisine perfectly paired with hand-selected Bordeaux wines.

Born and raised on a farm near Saint Emilion, as a young adult chef Pentecôte made his way to Paris. After putting in time as an apprentice and working with the likes of Louis Grondard du Druant, Philippe earned his first Michelin star at Le Relais de Sèvres.  Accepted into the Maîtres cuisiniers de France in 2005 and the Maîtres rôtisseurs in 2011, Pentecôte opened Le Petit Bordelais in 2007.

Inside the restaurant, you will be gracefully shown to your table, whose chairs are tastefully colored in bright shades of Bordeaux. The decor is festive yet formal, and diners enjoy a calm, cozy ambiance. Chef Pentecôte will most likely come around to say “bonjour” and tell you a little bit about the tasty morsels you’ll soon be devouring.

Fois gras with plum jelly

For a special occasion, the Degustation Menu is superb. To start, celebrate the meal with a glass of champagne and pillowy petit fours. Next comes a square glass filled with rillettes de canard topped with a light chive cream. For a strikingly harmonious flavor combination, pay attention to the fois gras on a plate of red plum jelly served with thick slices of freshly baked brown bread and a glass of white wine from Alsace. The mélange of fatty liver, sweet jelly, soft bread and dry wine creates a perfect symphony.

We’re just getting started, so make room for what follows: turbot with gently wilted spinach and buttery baby turnips with a glass of dry white wine. Then, seasoned tender lamb with no hint of gaminess, minced-mushroom stuffed tomato and an oaky red wine. After that, a cheese plate with both creamy and sharp varieties, salad and champagne vinaigrette swirled elegantly into the shape of a music note on the plate.

Fromage symphony

A bright passion fruit sorbet with pistachio bits and strawberry slices comes in next to cleanse the pallet. Dessert is chocolate and pistachio mousses twirled together in a hard round dark chocolate shell served with a small glass of Lillet Rouge liqueur. This will make your taste buds dance. If you can handle it, finish with an espresso and a bite-sized cannelle, a small pastry with a soft custard center and caramelized crust from Bordeaux.

Throughout the entire meal, service is outstanding: staff come smiling to replace your silverware with each course, and you will never need to wave a hand to get someone’s attention. Chef Pentecôte and his staff deserve all of their rave reviews. Le Petit Bordelais is a true orchestra, emanating class, quality and harmony in everything that it does.

Le Petit Bordelais

22 rue Surcouf

75007 Paris

Metro : Invalides

http://www.le-petit-bordelais.fr/en/

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris