Review: Espadon

What were your first impressions when you arrived?

Any diehard fans of the Ritz Paris will recall the longtime environs of L'Espadon (previously with the L') within the Place Vendôme's grandest hotel, the Ritz Paris. Through the revolving doors, guests entering the hotel used to simply head down the main corridor, lined with a blue and yellow runner and gilded armchairs, and reach the Restaurant L'Espadon. Set behind hulking glass doors, the opulent French Regency-style dining room with its gilded moldings, crystal chandeliers, and fine tableware looked plucked from the Palace of Versailles. With Chef Nicolas Sale at the helm since 2016, only the 10th chef in command since the hotel opened a restaurant in 1956, the restaurant earned two Michelin stars and entered into the canon of French haute gastronomie. It had provided the elegant backdrop for feasts for the world's glitterati, local personalities and even jewelers working in the Place Vendôme—the spirit of chef Auguste Escoffier, who co-founded the hotel in 1898 with the Swiss hotelier César Ritz, very much omnipresent. When the restaurant shuttered at the start of Covid, it remained tightly shut for three years. Chef Sale departed and the elaborate dining room was reserved for guests at breakfast. But that wasn't the end of the Espadon story. Writing the next chapter of the legendary restaurant required a new look and feel and a new talent to attract a truly culinary-obsessed dining public. The new iteration occupies a former banquet room on the rue Cambon side of the hotel—where Charles Ritz originally set up L'Espadon—and has been completely redesigned with soft, warm tones, a crystal glass roof and, most importantly, an exposed kitchen framed in copper. Guests enter through a short covered corridor adorned with porcelain bisque wall plaques of rhubarb leaves beloved by Escoffier. This opens up into a spacious, 30-seat dining room and terrace overlooking one of the most beautiful private gardens in Paris. A refreshing change for a Michelin-caliber experience—more casual design choices and tableware, such as the use of white linen tablecloths, hand-crafted Astier de Villatte dishware, a striking light fixture, inspired by an herbarium, in Bohemian crystal that runs across the ceiling.

What’s the crowd like?

This is a smart and curious culinary crowd that seemed genuinely excited by the prospect of a new take on fine dining from a chef (more on that below) that they've never heard of before. They were not excessively formal and seemed engaged in light-hearted conversation (at modest volumes, of course) with servers whenever they came to the table.

What should we be drinking?

The sommelier Florian Guilloteau breaks with wine pairing tradition here and alternates between wines, eaux-de-vie, liqueurs, sakés, infusions, waters., juices, and even broths. Of course, for purists, ordering a bottle or glass of wine is possible but the experience is all the more interesting when following Guilloteau's lead.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.

The first thing to know is that the chef, Eugénie Béziat, is the first woman to take the culinary reigns. Her talent speaks for itself but flew somewhat under Parisian radars. The 40 year-old chef grew up in Gabon, the Congo, and the Ivory Coast until she was eighteen, finding her way into cooking only at age 23, after a life-changing meal chez Hélène Darroze. Before she got the call from the Ritz, she had earned a Michelin star at La Flibuste on the French Riviera where she developed her own style. That extends to this upgraded culinary throne where she, thankfully, dispenses with the trend of obsequious homages to the heritage of the place and the legends that once ran the show. On the plate, her origins, memories, and deep flavor reservoir are unmistakable sources of inspiration but never lead into "fusion" territory. It is dynamic right from the first dish: fresh herbs in a yuzu gel with an herbaceous, tangy kick and continues apace with a braised tomato cake with rosemary, accompanied by a grapefruit and gentian granita. A plump grilled oyster is served with a sauce made from Para watercress, a Madagascan plant that is grown in the Paris region (plenty of other ingredients come from the Ritz's own vegetable gardens) served with an oyster tartare. And what may very well become her signature dish is the one that is most visually striking: an onion matured and cooked in clay, which was presented and opened tableside, comes with an heirloom Houdan chicken in a citrus jus and a tartlet garnished with yassa-style minced chicken thigh meat. And a grilled lobster tail was served in a bath of bissap which she says reminds her of an African beach barbecue. Both are clever nods to her formative years in West Africa. It hardly takes any additional courses to grasp the chef's bold vision and technical prowess. It is among the most exciting and unexpected fine dining experiences to play out in Paris. Dessert is overseen by the Ritz's supremely talented pastry chef François Perret, en place since 2016. He deftly blends his signature style with Béziat's risk-taking ambitions for desserts like a revisited crunchy chocolate soufflé with kororima seeds and sea salt, and a honeycombed croustillant, topped with two types of honey, almond and orange.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?

Formal without being rigid or impersonal; always available but not hovering. They were pros from start to finish.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?

This is a special occasion spot, particularly well suited for diners with a bit of fine dining experience interested in being challenged and surprised.