I’ve wanted to go to this restaurant for forever, and all I can say is that I was very disappointed. While the service was perfect, and the dining room is the best in the world, the positives really end there. While their famous crisps were great, as well as the raw tuna with an avocado sauce, the rest of the amuse-bouche were sub-par. The bread was far from the best I’ve had. The signature caviar starter consisted of very high quality components, but this wasn’t a 3* dish, and tasted like a knock-off version of Robuchon’s dots.
The lobster and pigeon were cooked perfectly, but the sauces and sides weren’t great accompaniments. The palate cleanser served to us in the kitchen was bad, and the cheeses were only average by French 3* standards.
This is the second time I’ve had the signature baba, and I still felt it’s too rich, with too much rum, and chantilly cream that’s too thick, rich, and sweet. The raspberries dessert with the matcha soufflé was slightly better, but overall not an exceptional dish, and it felt disjointed. The mignardises and coffee were awful, and the Ducasse chocolates weren’t great.
One thing I’ll give them credit for was the wine list. This place has long been criticized for having the worst prices, however, though I was shocked how small their wine list is, I found practically every bottle to be reasonably priced, with an extremely affordable by the glass selection. Overall, I certainly wouldn’t recommend coming here solely for the food.
by PopeBonyface
3 Comments
I thought it was a great restaurant until Dominique Lory was at the pass. Maybe it still is, but my last visit was shortly after Emmanuel Pilon — the current chef de cuisine — took over the helm, and I was massively disappointed too.
Having said that, I must disagree on the gamberoni with rockfish gelée and caviar. I think that dish is a masterpiece showcasing Ducasse’s ethos: simplicité and naturalité.
Really sad to hear this – this was always one of my “bucket list” restaurants that I was hoping one day to visit – it sounds like a serious drop in quality since Franck Cerruti’s heyday
Going next week, that makes me sad. I was already not impressed by La Vague d’or this week