Restaurants - Paris e-guide: The Travel Guide with its Own Website - page 31

Centre

15 D1

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon hot spot
5 rue de Montalembert, 7ème • 01 42 22 56 56
Open lunch & dinner daily
He might not be a household name outside France,
but in Paris Joël Robuchon stands for French cuisine
at its most refined. Gastronomes were devastated
when he announced his retirement from the rest-
aurant world at the age of 51, and his comeback was
the subject of rumours for years. Now in his late 50s,
Robuchon has not only opened what is probably the
most modern restaurant in Paris (with a twin
establishment in Tokyo), but he is also planning other
projects, including one in the 16th arrondissement.
What is all the fuss about? Well, his potato purée for
one, made from the flavourful ratte variety and with
nearly as much butter as potato. At L'Atelier, diners
sit around two bars in the compact, red-and-black
lacquered dining room (there are no individual chairs

and tables), while cooks toil in the open kitchen,
slightly removed from the communal counters. You
can order a little - from a selection of about 20 small
plates inspired by Asia, Spain and offerings from the
best Parisian chefs - or a lot, as it is also possible
to have a blow-out three-course meal of full-sized
offerings without feeling rushed. Some of the most
outstanding dishes are spaghetti à notre façon (an
Alsatian take on carbonara), turbot with the famous
potato purée and, among the smaller plates, clams
stuffed with garlic and a crisp mackerel tart with
Parmesan cheese. Desserts, such as the chartreuse
soufflé, are served in small portions to allow for
grazing. Telephone reservations are possible only for
11:30am and 6:30pm; otherwise, be prepared to
queue alongside Left Bank lawyers and publishers
who are willing to swallow their pride for extraordina-
rily good food. Expensive