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Image 1: Please note: this restaurant has recently moved to a new address.
As one of the top chefs in French cuisine, Guy Savoy hardly needs an introduction. Located just a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe, his name is another institution of French cooking - even Gordon Ramsay spent two years here.
Image 2: The restaurant is partitioned into two small rooms, each with just a few tables. Every guest is treated like a VIP, and is personally greeted by Guy Savoy on arrival! That’s pretty impressive - I certainly haven't come across any other chef that does that!
Image 3: As you might expect at a Paris fine-dining restaurant, there’s a large team of staff to serve a small number of customers – and another large team behind the scenes, which begins work before sunrise every day, to ensure every bit of every course is perfect. WATCH THE GUY SAVOY MOVIE HERE
Image 4: The actual menu is impressive, too! Not only does it have a French and English version, it’s also translated into Chinese,…
Image 5: Japanese, and…
Image 6: ... even Russian (I think)! It’s the first time I’ve seen a menu displayed in so many languages.
Image 7: Despite the hefty price tag, we went for the full tasting menu, called "Colours, Textures and Savours"!
Image 8: As we expected, it didn't take long before the canapés arrived.
Image 9: First, a simple foie gras on toast, served on a mini silver skewer, followed by…
Image 10: Chilled asparagus soup.
Image 11: I loved this unique dishware. There was even a small surprise underneath - crab meat with asparagus purée on a crouton.
Image 12: A large basket of fresh bread. Our server suggested a "bread tasting" paired with our menu!
Image 13: One always has high expectations of a Michelin 3-star restaurant, wherever it is, from Hong Kong to New York. But this was a 3-star restaurant in Paris – so our expectations were about as high as they could get! And the first course, "iced poached" oysters in seawater jelly, was a very promising start!
Image 14: It was cleverly paired with seaweed bread.
Image 15: WATCH THIS!
Image 16: This sesame bread came with the second course, which was…
Image 17: Blue lobster "raw-cooked in cold steam" - in other words, lobster tartar in lobster vinaigrette, resting on a crisp coral pancake. OK, so the dry ice steam was a bit gimmicky - but the crispy caramel offered a nice touch of sweetness to the vinaigrette and undoubtedly added another dimension to the texture. Excellent course!
Image 18: The course also came with a foamy lobster consommé that simply pampered our palate with its intense lobster flavour.
Image 19: More interesting dishware. This time bearing Grilled Sea Bass with a crispy seaweed garnish. The sauce was infused with vanilla, sweet spices, ginger and coriander.
Image 20: I’m a newbie when it comes to fish skin with scales on! A slightly disgusting thought, to be sure, but not half so bad when you actually eat it. Crunchy!
Image 21: The fish was paired with rye bread.
Image 22: And now…Chef Savoy's "Colours of Caviar" - This was a blanket of green bean purée and Osetra caviar, covering a layer of caviar cream, to which was then added…
Image 23: …a velouté of hot sabayon. Wow! Sensational! Simply bursting with sea flavour. All of my senses were suddenly alive!
Image 24: This sweet baguette came with the next course…
Image 25: Oysters from Bresse Chicken in truffle jus with asparagus. Bresse in France is considered to produce the finest chicken, and the oyster (the tiny round piece of dark meat on the back, near the thigh) is regarded as the best part of a chicken. And, of course, black truffle is "the diamond of the French kitchen. Is this most exclusive chicken course ever? I’d say so!
Image 26: We were then presented with a foil bag.
Image 27: Its purpose? Just to let us smell our next foie gras course, I guess!
Image 28: …A course that was paired with an onion sourdough.
Image 29: Escalope of foie gras - first seared, then poached in pink radish. Quite a standard foie gras dish, really. Nothing very special.
Image 30: And now, Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup with parmesan shavings. Another signature dish!
Image 31: There had been too many breads to do more than simply taste each of them. They were all good, but if I had to pick a single one to accompany my meal, this would be it!
Image 32: Along with the soup came this warm and mouth-wateringly buttery wild mushroom brioche with truffle spread!
Image 33: Now, the main course: Lamb.
Image 34: This course is all about lamb. There was potato purée drizzled with lamb stock and herbs; roasted saddle of lamb loin, stuffed with fresh herb; and ...
Image 35: ... a roasted lamb chop with potato gratin, soaked in lamb jus.
Image 36: This was followed by a thin confit of lamb shoulder in sweet onion stock! What an elaborate lamb course. Love it!
Image 37: A vegetable dish - Orange and Black, consisting of…
Image 38: …tender carrot, glazed in butter and decorated with spinach and chanterelle mushrooms.
Image 39: The cheese trolley, bearing a variety of delights.
Image 40: A look at the sweet wine list before our dessert...what a collection of Château d'Yquem!
Image 41: A lollipop refreshment before the dessert - raspberry granite and mint, covered in chocolate.
Image 42: More refreshments - a strawberry "floating island".
Image 43: A strawberry at this place is rather an exquisite thing – this has a herb sorbet centre!
Image 44: And finally our first dessert: Rhubarb and Flowers poached in Tahiti vanilla syrup. Sitting on the ring of nougat wafer was a quenelle of strawberry sorbet.
Image 45: Our final course - Chocolate Orb. Just a tiny chocolate ball?
Absolutely not! WATCH THIS!
Image 46: It had a hot mango coulis drizzled on top, and…
Image 47: …the chocolate shell was packed with aloe vera and mango.
Image 48: Plus, it came with a banana and passion fruit sorbet on the side!
Image 49: They even returned our wine label! What extraordinary service! As I’ve said, each customer is treated like a VIP – it’s way beyond the standards even of a classic Michelin 3-star!
Image 50: A new plate for our tea and petits-fours. Smile!
Image 51: A trolley of petits-fours - praline, truffle, raisin, pistachio, macadamia nuts, mini muffin, apple tart, marshmallow (lime, basil, coffee & sesame), macaron, brownie, ice cream (rhubarb, almond, caramel)…and more.
Image 52: We may have been completely full, but that didn’t stop us trying most of them!
Image 56: In conclusion, Guy Savoy definitely lived up to its name. Every aspect of the meal met our expectations, which – as I said – were very high! The finest ingredients, delicious food, meticulous attention to detail, impeccable but relaxed service - what more could you want?
Image 57: And that wasn't all - they even gave us a porcelain souvenir!
Image 58: Incidentally, it’s worth mentioning that this is just across the street - a private dining room for small parties or an intimate dinner.
