Legendary French chef Joel Robuchon’s latest culinary venture –following the success of his Left Bank success fou, L’Atelier—is well worth a visit to the chic 16th arrondissement not far from the Bois de Boulogne. On a quiet corner of the Avenue Bugeaud is La Table, a sophisticated but comfortable dining room with matte bronzed walls, black banquettes and seats, and palm leaf sconces that provide an elegantly subdued backdrop for the meal to follow.

While dinner reservations are recommended at least three weeks in advance, my friend and I walked in on the spur of the moment on a dreary gray fall Saturday afternoon and were seated immediately.

At lunch, La Table offers a “Club” menu which includes an appetizer, choice of meat or fish entrée, cheese, dessert, and a half bottle of wine, for 55 Euros per person. For 150 Euros per person, if you and your dining companions are happy to enjoy the same dishes (except for the main course where there is a choice), you can order the 7-course menu “decouverte.”   

Or you can do what we did and make a meal of several “small plates.” Our lunch started off with the “amuse-bouche” of the day, courtesy of the house,  a sublimely layered concoction of parmesan froth blanketing a pureed foie gras spooned on top of a fresh chestnut and served in a small cordial glass. Not being a “foodie” myself, I marvel at the imagination that could even begin to put together those distinct but somehow made-for-each-other flavors. The first of my chosen small plates was a simple yet striking presentation of Spanish ham sliced paper-thin, its salty smoky flavor set off by slices of toasted bread topped with diced fresh tomatoes. Since I was in Paris in November, a cream of pumpkin soup seemed an appropriate next choice, and as with the foie gras puree, this also was accompanied by fresh chestnuts, along with a swirl of crème fraiche. Next came miniature grilled baby lamb chops served with Robuchon’s world-famous potato and garlic puree (think mashed potatoes but on an entirely different level). Ending the meal was the traditional French dessert, Mont Blanc, but this a more ethereal version, with a lighter-than-air whipped meringue and chestnut “nest” bathed in a delicately flavored silken cream, followed by housemade caramel-filled chocolates.
 
It’s often said that it’s hard to find a bad meal in Paris, but in my many trips to the City of Light, I’ve yet to find a better one!

La Table de Joel Robuchon
16, av. Bugeaud
Paris, 75116
01 56 28 16 16