Restaurants - Paris e-guide: The Travel Guide with its Own Website - page 36

Restaurants

7 C5

L'Astrance top tables
4 rue Beethoven, 16ème • 01 40 50 84 40
Open lunch & dinner Mon-Fri
This three-year-old, 25-seat dining room near Trocadéro
is arguably the most exciting restaurant to have
opened in Paris this century (though Joël Robuchon's
Atelier (see p37) is a close rival). Pascal Barbot and
Christophe Rohat (who runs the dining room) worked
with Alain Passard at L'Arpège (see p36) before branch-
ing out on their own with a style that reflects Barbot's
time as a chef in Sydney. Asian spices turn up in all
sorts of unexpected places, but never shock the pal-
ate. Minimalist names on the menu create an element
of suspense, but first come surprise nibbles: soup
made with nearly burnt bread (much more intriguing
than it sounds) or an avocado and crab millefeuille

flavoured with almond oil and a tiny Granny Smith
julienne. Then comes “The Pea”, a frothy green cream
topped with crisp, golden-brown shavings of baked
Tomme d'Auvergne cheese and a fresh pea pod lined
with plump, tender peas. “The Mackerel” shows what
Barbot can do with a humble fish: boneless fillets
come coated in spiced crumbs, on a bed of Asian-style
spinach with sesame. More amuse-gueules , such as
herb-infused sorbets and an eggshell filled with eggy
cream, pave the way for inventive desserts combining
fruits and spices. The sober - but not off-puttingly so -
grey dining room, its walls decorated with gilt-framed
mirrors, puts the spotlight on the food. So cherished
are reservations here (you must book exactly one
month ahead) that foodies congratulate each other
on their success in securing a table. Expensive