There are a handful of so-called palace hotels in Paris. Five star hotels which consider themselves more luxurious than just a five star. Hotel Le Bristol is one of the palace hotels and it rightfully deserves to be called a palace with over the top luxury and royal treatment of its guests. The hotel’s signature restaurant went through an extensive renovation in 2011 and its new masterpiece of a restaurant is now called the Epicure.

The competition for the most affluent clients is fierce in Paris – a city which welcomes the rich and famous from all over the world on a daily basis. There are many options of the best for the connoisseur with a loaded bank account, which is necessary considering that Paris is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Well, you can stop looking – simply make a reservation at Hotel Le Bristol’s Epicure restaurant and you will have one of the best meals of your life!

The history of Le Bristol spans all the way back to 1758, but the hotel of today was opened in 1925 and has been owned by just two families since day one. The hotel is nowadays owned by the German Oetker family and they have done a tremendous job in making the hotel and its Epicure restaurant one of the best in the world. No compromises were made during the complex renovation of Le Bristol’s gastronomic restaurant and its transformation into the Epicure. Architect Pierre-Yves Rochon is in charge of the new décor. The dining room has become a masterpiece of soft and timeless luxury and when the sun shines warm you can have your meal at the renovated and refurbished terrace. Linen blend tablecloths made by Garnier Thibault, water glasses made of Baccarat crystal exclusively for the restaurant, white bone china dinner service created by Raynaud in Limoges and silver cutlery exclusively made by Christofle are good examples of how far the restaurant’s owners have gone to make sure to attract the elite clientele of the world.

But fancy décor is just props of what is truly important – the food! You can rest assured that you will have one of the most competent teams in the business. Head Chef Eric Frechon was born in French Corbie, Somme, in 1963. He earned his first salary from the restaurant business already in 1979 when he was just a teenager. He has worked at several French restaurants and also had one of his own, but he became a well-known name in Paris after he worked seven years at Hotel de Crillon’s signature restaurant for Chef Christian Constant. Eric Frechon has been awarded numerous accolades over the years, such as the French Legion of Honor (Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur) which was handed over by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Chef Eric Frechon’s cuisine is as French as it can be with an emphasis on the classic cooking and its techniques, but his food looks and tastes timeless without following any trends. Rest assured that you will have top French produce executed in the best possible way. It is highly impressive how the Chef over and over again only creates the finest French cuisine available. He makes his dishes based on few ingredients like scallops or duck foie gras, but he has an eye for always making the perfect balance between sweet, salt and acid, and always with flawless texture. His dishes made of the French Sologne caviar or venison alone makes a reservation worth it.

Pastry Chef Laurent Jeannin leaves no one unaffected with his enchanting creations. His desserts are far more than just a feast for your taste buds. He takes his craft to a new level of creativity without losing the foundation of what is timeless beauty.

Epicure is one of the most essential reservations for those who truly consider themselves gourmets. The restaurant alone makes it worth a trip to Paris.

Written by Andy