Le Gabriel: The new three-star restaurant in Paris

The culinary wells of chefs and foodies in Paris have always been hardcore and not at all comme il faute, but the pandemic that has turned the French capital upside down has made this situation even worse. Two of the topics that have been frequently brought up are the "takeover" of the historic Plaza Athene by Jean Imbert`s kitschy food and whether (or not) the Michelin Guide does justice to Le Gabriel at La Reserve Paris, which until a few days ago had been stubbornly held at two stars for years. The latter, however, has been resolved.

Last Monday, Jérôme Banctel donned the three-star apron at Tours, with the audience applauding him incessantly for over five minutes. This was, of course, a development that was more or less expected since we are talking about a very great but also tasteful cook with a rich CV that would be the envy of many. He worked with Christian Constant in the best days of Le Crillon, took over the legendary Lucas Carton restaurant when the great Alain Senderens was in charge of it, and for almost a decade became Bernard Pacaud`s first violin in the kitchen of L`Ambroisie.

When he took over as executive chef at the artisanal boutique hotel La Reserve in 2016, he was already a mature chef of great stature. But there, he was fortunate enough to be given all the tools by La Reserve`s owner, Michel Reybier, to cultivate a personal kitchen at Le Gabriel restaurant, where he unleashed his dynamic temperament from end to end without restraint. This is what he did. Methodically, persistently, with dedication and hard work, and simultaneously without making it obvious. The two stars came straight in the first year. He had to wait seven years for the third, but he never gave up. The bar remained very high; the consistency was impressive, and the flavours shone through. I went to Le Gabriel last December, and I must confess that I had that dinner with me for a long time.

Jérome Banctel`s cuisine is a homage to the stunning terroir of Brittany, the city where he was born and which, despite his countless travels around the world and the influences his cooking has taken from them, he has never left behind. With excellent raw materials at his fingertips at Le Gabriel, he weaves high gastronomy with a deep, perfect technique that brings together a vast range of highly complex or even disparate flavours with beautiful contrasts, endless finesse and top-notch deliciousness. His love of rare spices and subversive acidities elevate his sauces to an unexpectedly high level, and the risks he takes in combining "difficult" raw materials are well-earned. I`ll dwell on just two sublime dishes that encapsulate the above.

The first is a carrot, "candied" in the traditional way that Turkish loukoumi does, to which he drizzles a delicate, ginger-flavoured sauce. But even the "humble" mackerel in Banctel`s hands is transformed into something unique. Wrapped in cedar leaves, the cooking is finished in front of the table, and as it is "quenched" with a white wine broth, an exquisite sauce of creamy sea urchin, garlic and ginger is spread on the plate. One "flaw" is that it`s not very fond - or instead, not at all - of cheese, although Le Gabriel`s cheese trolley has some lovely little gems. I highly recommend it. The desserts I tried didn`t stand on par with the other dishes, but that doesn`t mean they weren`t good. If I`m correct, he also developed these with another pastry chef. The restaurant`s ample assets are the old Parisian atmosphere in its most elegantly luxurious version and a world-class sommelier who elevates the dining experience dramatically.

The now three-star Le Gabriel is a jewel for Paris. To wear around the neck, one must pay around €500 while enjoying one of the excellent wine pairings they have prepared for every occasion. I`m not saying it`s not much, but the experience at this great restaurant is worth that price—and more than enough.

Rating: 9.5 / 10

Info: https://www.lareserve-paris.com/en/restaurants-bars/restaurant-le-gabriel/