L'Ecrin — Restaurant in Paris

#100 in my Paris Michelin Stars Challenge under a year. I wanted to save a special number for this one. Follow me and check my other reviews (every Michelin Star in Paris) Ps: Dear Google moderator, tell me what’s the issue here? Warning : this review has been written under the influence of the memories of extremely good champagne. Ok, I’m in love. Don’t worry, my wife knows about it, it’s purely professional. Really, how can you not fall under the spell of Marie Wodecki? She does steal the show, and is destined to be one of the sommelier to watch in the next few years. But to be fair, she’s in the right place to be in the center of the show. Why? Let’s start by the classical question : So what’s extraordinary here? Here, it’s your choice of wine that will dictate your meal. It’s an « accord Vins Mets ». In nearly every étoilé, you have an option called « Accord Mets Vins » where the sommelier will match each plate with a wine that helps you appreciate it. Here, it’s the other way round. You arrive, you say what you want to drink and the meal will suit your choice of wine… Needless to say it’s heaven of earth for any sommelier. Especially considering that you have access to the cellar of one of the most prestigious palace in France. I guess some must be jealous of Marie (certainly a bunch of colleagues!). By the way, Christophe K doesn’t have to be jealous of her because he’s the epitome of the perfect palace restaurant director. Perfect distance. Perfectly understood how to manage and modulate it with me. I just need to say to him I’m sorry I hadn’t time to write the review before, but I do have a big backlog since I’m averaging 4 stars a week. By the way that’s how good he is. He managed to create a connection so strong that 5 months later, I’m still feeling guilty! Let’s go back to the main point. It’s the wine that sets the tone. Now, let me take this opportunity to make another point, especially for those who follow me, but also for those who will “just” go to the Crillon for Dinner. What’s the best wine for a gastronomic meal? That’s a huge question and there are many debates. This question is of crucial importance here, since it set the course for the night. Well, without the shadow of a doubt, there’s absolutely no debate in my mind: Champagne. Not an average champagne of course, but more a “vin de Champagne”. I mean a Champagne, usually low or no dosage (low on added liquor, which is sugar basically), usually made by small passionate producer (or some exclusive cuvée from bigger name), often Blanc des noirs, sometimes from a specific parcel. Why champagne? Why this kind of champagne for a gastronomic meal? Because it’s completely decadent? No… Because you’ll both be able to appreciate the meal and the wine. It’s light. It’s subtle. The meal will not be overtaken by the taste of the wine. And you’ll go home fresh. So what happened there? Well, as usual I said I wanted to dine with Champagne. Sometimes it can be a challenge since some have only Champagne for “celebration “, not gastronomic. But not there… oh no. She, Marie, came with a menu that has the most complete collection I’ve ever seen since of one of my favorite champagne. I actually hunt down this specific brand in Michelin Star restaurant (you may have spot it on other reviews). As it wouldn’t be enough, the glass in which they will serve it are specifically made for the Crillon. You can see them on the pic. They have no “foot”. I ll save the anecdote for the staff but it does make the experience unique (and in that case, decadent indeed). Ok, I need to stop there. Because I’m reaching the word limit. And I’m not even at the meal yet! Which is not fair, because the chef is playing along the concept. It’s a palace cuisine but with an humble touch, no extravaganza, just refined. You’ll have premium ingredients of course (truffles for instance), but it’s not the main point, it’s simple, elegant and has a “maternal” touch (grandma with a star). And of course you have the Hidden in the Crillon factor… A top...

L'Ecrin is an absolutely exceptional restaurant that is, as far as I am aware, unique in centering the expertly guided selection of wine, with the selection of food then subordinated & left to the staff. We had wonderful discussions with both the chief sommelier and an associate sommelier about our desire for a bottle of well-aged white wine & were guided to a very reasonably priced (130€) 2007 Beaune. This was one of their least expensive wines & there was zero pressure to select something more expensive. I felt like this was a very morally correct approach & ended up foreshadowing the truly elegant & kind service throughout.

Regarding the food, words are not available to describe how unusual, surprising, and delectable every single bite of food was. Amount and pacing of the five-course option were perfect. This included many little awesome touches like leaving the extra sauces in their tiny pitchers on the table & even providing special little bread nuggets for dipping. (We had been at a Michelin star restaurant in London a few days prior & there they poured the sauces at table to the amount of chef's specification & sadly took away the extra in the tiny pitchers.) Amazing cheese course too, with a very beautiful & whimsical cheese cart with a "secret drawer" underneath containing some of the most interesting cheeses. Everyone working there loved to discuss the food & wines with the patrons in detail, and with seriousness but also a relaxed and...

An impeccable experience at the high end of a one star Michelin but expect to pay the price for the location. A colleague and I chose the 7 séquences légendes wine pairing menu which means higher end wines. Each course and wine was an amazing experience with the burgundy waygu beef injected with columns of anchovy for a salty extra that amazed. The sauces and emulsions alternated between succulent and ethereal. The staff were professional and kind and the sommelier Margaux had all the nuanced answers including why the Corton Charlemagne white burgundy had a much more delicate mouth feel (steel rather than oak containers for the fermentation) than expected. I later researched the champagne and wine prices and concluded that the markups are 3-4x (e.g. the 2016 Henriot Millésimé Champagne) but going to the Hotel Crillon’s restaurant and mentioning this is like visiting the Sahara in summer and complaining about the heat. Conclusion: you can go to most one and even 2 star Michelins and have a fantastic meal and experience and pay considerably less, and if you go to the Écrin, perhaps consider non premium wines, but if for you it’s all about the location, brand and experience, you will get what you paid for. Here’s a tell they might respond to: 80%...