Joel Robuchon — Restaurant in Paradise

Rating: 4.5/5

Joel Robuchon is a paragon of luxury dining. The opulent ambiance, characterized by soft lighting, a grand chandelier, and lavish floral arrangements, creates an intimate and refined atmosphere. While the service is generally exceptional, with knowledgeable and attentive staff, occasional lapses in consistency detract slightly from the overall experience.

Adhering to a strict business formal dress code, the restaurant maintains an exclusive air. The wine pairing is expertly curated, though minor timing issues arose on a few occasions.

We opted for the middle tier wine pairing. The sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable and paired each wine perfectly with the corresponding course. While there was a minor hiccup with the wine timing with two of our courses, it didn't significantly dampen the experience.

Our tasting experience began with a delightful prelude: their imported unsalted butter. The butter was silky, velvety, and perfectly balanced. The bread basket was equally impressive, with the mini croissants and milk bread stealing the show.

The first course, la caviar imperial, was a standout. The presentation was breathtaking, and the flavors were even more extraordinary. The rich, briny caviar complemented the delicate crab perfectly, and the cauliflower purée added a creamy texture and subtle sweetness.

The second course, la tomate, was a conceptual masterpiece. The idea of capturing the essence of a perfect tomato in a single dish was admirable, but it didn't quite translate into a truly memorable experience for me.

The third course, les haricots verts, was a delightful surprise. The combination of tender, juicy foie gras, crisp green beans, and the bold wasabi vinaigrette created a symphony of flavors on the palate.

The fourth course, la saint-Jacques, was a symphony of flavors and textures. The sea scallop, though slightly overcooked, was a tender and succulent masterpiece. Its sweetness was the perfect counterpoint to the briny, salty pop of the caviar.

The fifth course, l'euf de caille miroir, was a playful and intriguing creation. The perfectly cooked quail egg, with its runny yolk, was a luxurious addition to the delicate pear rice. While it was a lighter course, it was packed with depth and complexity.

The sixth course, la laitue, was a surprising and delightful departure from the richness of the previous dishes. The lettuce velouté was incredibly smooth and creamy, with a subtle sweetness that balanced the savory notes. The scallion flan added a delicate texture and a hint of onion flavor, while the ricotta tortellini provided a delightful bite. It was a perfect palate cleanser.

The seventh course, la Howard, showcased the Maine lobster that was cooked to perfection- tender and succulent with a sweet and briny flavor.

The eighth course, la black cod, was a revelation. The fish was cooked to perfection, boasting an ethereal melt-in-your-mouth texture. It was undoubtedly the best black cod I've ever tasted.

The ninth course, la canette, showcased duck that was perfectly cooked, with crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. The five-spice blend imparted a warm and aromatic complexity, while the sour cherries cut through the richness, providing a delightful balance of flavors. It came with a side of mashed potatoes, which was so creamy and light that we all ended up getting a second round.

The tenth course, la fraise, was a refreshing and delightful course. The Harry's Berries sorbet was intensely flavorful, with a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. It was very light and refreshing.

The penultimate course, la citron yuzu, was a delightful conclusion to the savory portion of our meal.

The grand finale, the Mignardises Cart, was a sweet temptation we couldn't resist. Each petite confection was a burst of flavor and artistry. From the classic crème brûlée to the ethereal panna cotta, every bite was a delightful surprise. The delicate éclairs, exquisite bon bons, and charming macarons were equally impressive. It was a truly indulgent end to an...

I am not usually one to write a bad review, but I felt like it was my duty to do so in this situation, with hopes that it'll help someone out there not waste their time or money here. This place is nowhere near the quality and service of a 3-Michelin star restaurant, or any Michelin stars, at that. (I looked up when it received its Michelin stars, and it was 2009. A lot of its other awards were also before 2010. Perhaps the quality was different when Robuchon was alive?) Anyhow, I would not consider the quality of the food and service as fine dining, and I think the worst part about it is how much you pay for it. It is a complete scam. Our server, from beginning to end, made several mistakes - starting with saying "Happy Anniversary" (it was my husband's birthday - but maybe the server was confused since the menu said "joyeux anniversaire"? But did he not know what that meant? I mean, I didn't know what that meant, but it did say "happy birthday" right above it.) I also repeated several times that I had a nut allergy and to let me know if there were items I couldn't have, but he proceeded to recommend items that clearly had nuts anyway. He also would forget what we ordered, then come back to check - only to give my husband an incorrect order anyway, after repeating it to him. Then another server took over and didn't help the situation at all by attempting to justify the other server - "he can't see, and won't wear glasses, and he refuses to write things down." Um, ok? And then the quality of the food itself...some of it was disgusting, and some of it was... just something that would have been passed on a tray at a bad work event. They try to make it look fancy with their presentation, they bring out the bread cart, the dessert cart, whatever... but ultimately, all of the food is pretty meh. And also, the ambiance itself isn't upscale at all. It's pretty tacky, like maybe it was the early 00's. We were seated in what felt like it was supposed to give the feeling of outside? But you're not outside? With fake plants surrounding you? It's very weird. The entire vibe of the place felt really uncomfortable, and I joked that someone must have been murdered there and the ghost was haunting the space. And all of this would have been fine and forgivable if it was some cheap chain restaurant known for low-quality food, but I think the worst part about this place is the fact that they're trying to come off as this fine dining experience that charges an insane amount. After being scammed I googled to find out more, and I found an old YouTube video of the people who run the place saying "you're paying for the memory." I wish I had seen this video beforehand, because what a red flag - if you have to say that, it means your food sucks. And it did. Please don't go here. IT'S A SCAM. And as someone who has eaten at multiple Michelin-star places as well as multiple sketchy places, this is the worst restaurant meal I've ever...

Easily the worst dining experience ever. Very disappointing…

First of all, We booked a reservation weeks ahead for 7:30pm tonight for my birthday. We called to confirm our reservation 1 hour before we went. The girl told us our reservation is actually at 8:30pm? we told her that’s too late, so they let us change the reservation to 8pm. We arrived at 8pm, the hostess said our appointment was actually at 7:30pm and we missed it….. and the soonest they would have a table ready is 8:30pm. They said we prob called the wrong number. So we tried calling the same number again on the spot to figure out which restaurant we called, and that same hostess picked up the phone right in front of us.. she saw us calling so she did not speak and hung up right away. We are pretty sure she was the one changing our appointment to 8pm, and prob scared to admit her mistake. And then she let another group in first…?

Anyway, we got seated at around 8:30pm. It was only bar seats if just two people by the way, which we did not know. I got the price fixed menu with 2 appetizers, 1 entree and 1 dessert. My bf got the one with 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 1 dessert. Our server and the managers were all really nice. However, we did not get our first appetizer until one hour later which was 9:30pm. After that we waited till 10pm and still did not get our second appetizer. At that point we were starving to a point where we didn’t even have appetite anymore. We asked the server how much longer it would take and that we would have to leave by 10:30pm since we have plans after. The server said we would have to cancel one of our entrees to make it on time, so we cancelled one. They sped up and we had our dessert served at 10:20pm. Our server brought a little cake with a candle for my birthday which was really nice. They also comped us two small glasses of champagne which we appreciated. However while I was talking to the server, my hair got caught on fire from the candle and a small chunk of my hair fell out.. Definitely not their fault, but just not really making the experience better.

Overall, food was only okay. I am not sure if my mood affected how I perceived the food, but I definitely expected better for the price we paid and I do not think it was worth the wait at all. The servers were all nice and friendly. I would have given zero star if it wasn’t for them. I just think the restaurant should not overbook customers if they knew the food would take that long to make and decorate, and a Michelin one star restaurant should definitely do...