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    Home » Restaurant

    L'Ambroisie Paris

    Published: Aug 8, 2016 by Jennifer Che

    Ambroisie-Paris-20-of-20.jpg
    L'Ambroisie Paris

    This is the twenty-second post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

    He had just one request.

    It was our second time in Paris, but our first time as true food enthusiasts. Yes, we had come to Paris together about a decade ago. At that time, I was still in law school, and we just just started getting into wine. We had less money, and generally didn't eat too extravagantly. This trip, Bryan told me that I could pick whatever food I wanted for the entire three-week trip. However, he had just one request.

    "I want to eat at the best, high-end classic French restaurant."

    It's no secret that the French are masters at high-end cuisine. French culinary techniques serve as the foundation of most high-end dishes around the world. It makes a lot of sense why Bryan wanted to experience the pinnacle of the masters at their home turf.

    After some research, I settled upon L'Ambroisie, a three-Michelin starred French restaurant that uses classic techniques and was widely considered by many to be one of the best restaurants in Paris. L'Ambroisie has maintained its 3-Michelin star status consecutively since 1988, making it the longest running 3-Michelin star restaurant in history.
    Ambroisie-Paris-2-of-2.jpg
    We started with a velvety, creamy Potage, or potato cream soup topped with a luxurious dollop of white truffle cream. As you can imagine, the flavors were heavenly and full of that fragrant white truffle aroma.
    Ambroisie-Paris-19-of-20.jpg
    The next course included a layer of broccoli florets topped with barely cooked scallops and more white Alba truffles. This dish blew me away with its deceptive simplicity.  How could somebody make broccoli taste this good? It was simply amazing.
    Ambroisie-Paris-16-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    The theme continued with our third course, a Lobster Ravioli served in a decadent butter-cream sauce topped with generous shavings of white Alba truffles.
    Ambroisie-Paris-18-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris Ambroisie-Paris-17-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    The aroma was intoxicating, and we couldn't help but take deep breaths of each course, just enjoying and taking in the fragrant aromas of the white truffles.
    Ambroisie-Paris-15-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    Here's an inside look of the ravioli, which is stuffed full of perfectly cooked lobster.
    Ambroisie-Paris-14-of-20.jpg
    Our last savory course was chicken from a region called Brest topped with more white truffles. Similarly, this dish was also extremely well executed.
    Ambroisie-Paris-13-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    And then they rolled out a gorgeous cheese cart. Wow. It was so hard to decide which ones to try, especially when we really wished we could try them all.
    Ambroisie-Paris-12-of-20.jpg
    We ended up each choosing 3-4 cheeses to try, which was really fun.
    Ambroisie-Paris-11-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    I distinctly remember my favorite was a creamy artisan washed rind cow's milk cheese called Fougerus Coulommier, which was simply phenomenal. It was creamy and salty sort of like brie, but with a much more complex flavor. I loved it.
    Ambroisie-Paris-10-of-20.jpg
    For our palate cleanser (or first dessert), we enjoyed a simple citrus sorbet.
    Ambroisie-Paris-9-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    Our main dessert was a traditional chocolate pie with vanilla ice cream. The chocolate was excellent, and overall the dessert was lovely.
    Ambroisie-Paris-4-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris Ambroisie-Paris-3-of-20.jpg
    Bryan decided to order some cognac and opted for A. E. DOR "selection L'Ambroisie", a version made specifically for the restaurant. It was really, really good. At one point, when Bryan's glass was almost empty, the server topped him up again, winked, and said "oops!".

    Bryan was more than happy to consume the "oops" pour.
    Ambroisie-Paris-5-of-20.jpg
    The mignardises pastries were perfect - not too sweet and full of genuine flavors. The "Choux Creme" was a delicate pastry filled with cream and topped with candied sugar. It was phenomenal. There was also a crisp topped with cooked apple, which was also amazing. Finally, there was a cookie topped with pear that was excellent, full  of intense, strong pear flavors.

    All the desserts were clearly executed with care and at a very high level. We were extremely impressed.
    Ambroisie-Paris-6-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris Ambroisie-Paris-2-of-20.jpg
    We received truffle chocolates as well as our choice of coffee or tea. Bryan went with the espresso.
    Ambroisie-Paris-1-of-2.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    I went with a Verbena tea, which I absolutely loved. It was exactly what I wanted after such a rich meal.
    Ambroisie-Paris-1-of-20.jpg Ambroisie Paris
    The meal was a success. Bryan loved it, and even after our entire three-week trip, declared it as one of his favorite meals of the entire trip. Everything - from the perfectly executed dishes and opulent display of white truffles to the friendly "oops" pour of his cognac left a strong impression of a meal that we would never forget.

    Ambroisie-Bryan-1-of-1.jpg
    A happy husband

    My Thoughts
    To be honest, I struggled a bit in deciding whether or not to dine here. Yes, it was pretty universal that people thought the food here was top notch (it is!). However, L'Ambroisie is also one of the few 3-Michelin starred restaurants that refuses to offer a lower-priced lunch option or even a regular tasting menu option. Dinner and lunch cost the same, and the prices are high. The menu is mostly a la carte, with starters costing €92-€180, main courses costing €92 - €260, and desserts costing €30 - €35 each. They don't really advertise any tasting menus, though they did verbally tell us about the white truffle tasting that day (we had to specifically ask about the cost: ~ €350 per person).

    In general, I think price is not supposed to be something you ask about in that environment. In fact, my menu did not show any prices. They only give the male dining companion the menu with the prices (which I found interesting).

    All in all, though, the food was incredible. There's no question about that. I can totally see why they feel entitled to charge the prices that they do. "It's worth it" they would say. And clearly, looking at how long they've been successful, many, many people agree with that sentiment, including Bryan. If you're looking for top notch French food made with traditional French techniques, this is probably one of the best out there.

    L'Ambroisie Paris
    9 place des Vosges, 75004 PARIS
    Tél : +33 (0)1 42 78 51 45

    All Posts In This Series
    Around the World Birthday Extravaganza
    Alba White Truffle Fair
    Osteria Dei Sognatori - A Traditional Piedmontese Dinner
    Italy Wine Tour - Barbaresco
    Lunch at Donna Selvatica in Neive, Italy
    Dinner at a Truffle Hunter's Inn - Tra Art e Querce
    G.D.Vajra Winery
    Trattoria Della Posta in Montfort D'Alba
    Nighttime Truffle Hunting with a Dog in Alba
    Osteria della Arco - last dinner in Alba
    Stunning Images of La Morra and Barolo, Italy
    First Day In Bordeaux, France - Une Cuisine en Ville
    Chateau Haut-Brion Tour in Bordeaux France
    Restaurant Le St. James
    Touring Bordeaux Wineries - Day 1 - Left Bank
    La Tupina, Bordeaux (traditional French dinner)
    Cos d'Estournel Tour
    Touring Bordeaux - Pauillac, Chateau Lynch-Bages
    Chateau Cordeillan-Bages
    A Different Paris
    Le Relais de l'Entrecote
    Pirouette Paris

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    1. L'Arpege Paris - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      August 14, 2016 at 12:06 am

      […] my favorite meal in France (even though Bryan prefered our traditional classical French meal at L’Ambroisie). I love how Chef Passard really challenges himself to deeply explore and coax out the flavors of […]

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      October 2, 2016 at 3:19 am

      […] Chateau Cordeillan-Bages A Different Paris Le Relais de l’Entrecote Pirouette Paris L’Ambroisie Paris […]

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    3. Florilege Tokyo - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      October 5, 2016 at 12:29 am

      […] Chateau Cordeillan-Bages A Different Paris Le Relais de l’Entrecote Pirouette Paris L’Ambroisie Paris Hiking at Mount Takao in […]

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    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

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