Don Juan II

75016 PARIS

17/20
Prestige Restaurant

BOOK

3 PHOTOS

Chef Frédéric Anton

Cooking French | Gastronomic | specialty

Services Terrace

Price Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

240€

Gault&Millau's review

17/20

Prestige Restaurant A superb yacht on the Seine for a romantic dinner orchestrated by Frédéric Anton. It's a tempting pitch, but as you sail along, a cascade of privileges takes you into an enchanted interlude. It all starts with the arrival, amid the honking horns and aggressive scooters of the voie Pompidou. Escape to the right towards Port Debilly, the barrier opening for cabs, but also a joy for motoring customers who find a private parking lot in front of the boat. As departure is at 8:30 p.m. precisely, guests are asked to arrive from 7:45 p.m. onwards. This gives them the opportunity to visit this proud building, to be greeted by the captain, and sometimes even by Frédéric Anton himself, who has entrusted the kitchens to his chef Gabin. The interior is both beautiful and comfortable, with an Arts-Déco feel, Pierre Frey fabrics, fine marquetry, well-spaced tables and a pleasant lounge for aperitifs, taken on deck in fine weather to enjoy the first bubbles at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The crew invites you to join them at the table, and the cruise lasts two hours for a happy few of twenty or so, who will see the most beautiful monuments of Paris as they pass by. The boat glides gently between the Trocadéro and the Musée d'Orsay, between the Louvre and the Conciergerie, between the Île Saint-Louis and the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand, where it makes a U-turn to offer other views, other perspectives, other marvels. It's a dinner cruise, not a dinner cruise. Because on the plate, it's pure Anton, that symbiosis between extreme controlled dexterity and gourmet pleasure. Not a flaw, not a comma too many in this meal where everything is suave, warm and precise as much as enticing in flavors where the familiar marries the unexpected. An appetizer reminiscent of brandade, fennel and caviar on a languorous dashi flan like a chawanmushi, crab, of course, high-pitched with its curry perfume and pomelo zephyr, the well-known yet always stunning langoustine in ravioli and the addictive American, venison with a real pepprade and the fragrance of truffles... This is a luxury feast, but also a truly great meal in unique circumstances. We won't compare it to the Eiffel Tower, where Frédéric Anton happily occupies the second floor, but this intimate, uncrowded atmosphere lends itself wonderfully to his haute couture register, grand style and personality, whose apparent classicism elicits smiles of connivance, right down to the essential chocolate soufflé and pistachio ice cream. This unique six-course menu is billed at €240, including diesel and moving scenery, perfectly coordinated service and that touch of magic that can be likened to a mayonnaise effect. For two, with a Billecart or a fine classic in the same waters, at around €120, it's probably worth waiting a while to change smartphones and spend a memorable evening.