Le Clarence

Rating: 14
Author: Gault&Millau

75008 PARIS

14/20
Chef's Restaurant

BOOK

Chef: Andrea Capasso
Cooking: French | Traditional
Services: Access for people with disabilities | Pets allowed | Privatization
Style: Romantic

Budget (€)

Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

150 to 430

Gault&Millau's review 2026

After ten years at the helm of the Clarence, and a number of awards from the guidebooks, Christophe Pelé has decided to leave the Golden Triangle for new adventures. Filling the void left by such a talented and emblematic chef is no easy task, and it's quite simply his second-in-command for the last few years, Andrea Capasso, who has been chosen to slip into his still-warm clothes... but too big for him? Our first experiences were indeed half-hearted, being among those who see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. Let's face it, you get bored in these luxurious lounges, which seem more than ever to be designed for a very wealthy foreign clientele, eager to get a nice photo of a dish (or a selfie...) against the backdrop of the magnificent décor of this elegant mansion. The €250 menu (entrance fee for dinner) features fine scallops with beet gwell, an extremely flat pollack, lacking in gourmandise and seasoning, and flanked by a kumquat and tellin sauce that adds neither acidity nor iodine, a quail married with nori and kombu seaweed and a celery pressé that fortunately tips the balance a little more towards gourmandise, before a lovely corn dessert, airy and elegant, with its toasty and chocolate nuances enhanced by a dash of smoked tea gel. Note (applaud!) the appearance of a menu in addition to the "surprise" menus (which simply consist of dishes taken from this menu and slightly reworked), underline the excellent general level of service, under the direction of Charles Weyland, and the plethoric cellar, which could probably do with a few more affordable wines by the glass.