Joel Robuchon has the most Michelin stars of any chef at 28. Yesterday was my third meal at one of his restaurants. At these fancy places I am often underwhelmed in the end given the high expectations that naturally come with the many dollar signs. On my 3 visits to Joel Robuchon restaurants, the food has always surpassed my expectations. I don't like dishes that are overly complex and I like it when just 1-3 flavors burst out purely.
This L'Atelier has a prix fixe lunch menu with starter, entree, and dessert for 41 euros. Given the 2 Michelin stars and Champs Elysee location, it was a pretty decent value in my book. Even better, my mother-in-law was kind enough to treat Laura and me!
Every L'Atelier I have been to has a sleek, dark, and modern design with bright red accents. Their bar seating looks into the open kitchen which is immaculate and humming silently.
My starter was a cherry gazpacho. My mother-in-law had it as well and it has been her favorite dish in Paris so far.
Laura had the vegetable starter which was perfectly cooked and I stole half of.
It came with a delicious deeply flavored ginger chicken broth on the side.
I had veal cheeks as my entree. Two plump and falling apart tender pieces of veal cheek. The best beef/veal cheeks I have had over the last two months. I have had beef/veal cheeks at least 5 times over the last two months and it isn't even close. These were the most tender and had the most flavor infused into it.
Last time we came to Paris Laura almost had steak beef once a day. I don't think that will happen this time, but she did have beef tartare at this lunch. I loved that it required no work and everything was mixed homogeneously. Laura prefers do it herself assembly, but did agree this was one of the best beef tartare variations she has eaten.
Laura was being healthy so that left the majority of the perfectly fried crinkle cut french fries for me to gobble up.
All our entrees came with a side of insanely buttery rich and smooth mashed potatoes. Some call it the best mashed potatoes.
There were three desserts on the prix fixe menu and there were three of us. Each dessert found its way to the rightful owner. Laura's favorite dish in Paris so far is the coffee cream + jelly.
My favorite dish so far on this Paris trip was my fruit salad with basil sorbet.
The third dish was a rasberry sorbet in pastry shell.
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile
133 Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France
