Gastronomos Review: Dinner at Restaurant PUR Paris, Michelin-Starred Restaurant by Chef Jean-François Rouquette.

In Paris, some restaurants try to shine. Others, like PUR, simply breathe — and that alone is enough to make everything around them glow.

On the hottest Friday of the year, when even the shadows seemed exhausted, stepping into the cool sanctuary of the Hyatt Paris Vendôme felt like diving into a marble-scented, silent dream. To the left, a glass-walled kitchen frames a ballet: chefs moving in silent harmony, like pianists in an impressionist quartet. We were led to a table for two, with a privileged view of the kitchen’s heart — not just a meal, but the start of a narrative.

A Refreshing Prologue

There’s no other way to say it: the mini mango and avocado taco was a relief. Crunchy, cold, cheerful — like a fan in the desert, a green breeze on a city-heat day. Beside it, a spoonful of agira di latte and a tiny paprika cheese puff that exploded like a sunbeam seasoned with nostalgia. The kind of beginning that doesn’t shout, but smiles — and prepares. The sommelier (a constant, elegant, never intrusive presence) suggested the first glass… and the dance began.

The Start of the Dance

The first starter was a frozen poem: sorrel ice cream with verbena gel and salted confit peach. Imagine lying on a bed of dew-covered grass at dawn, surrounded by lavender and lemons — that was it. A combination that shouldn’t work, but mysteriously did, like a Swiss clock: precise, refreshing, almost hypnotic.

Next came yellowfin tuna with cucumber water, stracciatella, avocado, and sorrel. Impeccable technique, flawless texture, but… a hint of déjà vu. A clean, correct dish, but with the emotion of a repeated postcard. And that’s okay — maybe it was just a pause before the climax.

The Peak: A Plant-Based Anthem

And then came the stuffed morels, served with a nut sabayon and a delicate galangal pea purée. Silence. One of those rare moments when the table stops. Every bite was an orchestra of earthy depth, subtle sweetness, pure umami. The dish was nearly indescribable, a forest in liquid form, a dark green secret that melted like autumn butter. And to think it had no meat. A jus so delicious it could only have been extracted from the soil itself.

The Sea, in a Whisper

The sea bass confit in olive oil, served with a green crab juice bouillon, bulido squid, and baby spinach, arrived with the gentleness of a haiku. It was fresh, perfectly cooked, balanced — but perhaps shy after the intensity of the previous dish. Beautiful, but not unforgettable. The kind of serene beauty, like a watercolor at dusk.

The Lamb: Balance in Two Acts

Back to fire with the milk-fed lamb from the Aveyron mountains. Two cuts: the saddle and the confit shoulder. A clever composition, where one part explains the other, like siblings completing each other. Accompanied by yellow salsa, chard, and rosemary-lime potato churros (!), the dish was rustic and elegant — like a waltz danced in suede boots. A true return to the South.

A Parade of Cheese and Wild Berries

Marie Quatrehomme’s cheese board, with 10 French cheeses (and one truffled Italian that made everyone sigh), was a chapter of its own — a journey through terroir, in textures and aromas.

And then, as if the night still had breath, came the pre-dessert: wild strawberries in gel, cubed, fresh, untamed, with a subtle sorbet that recalled Jura fields in June.

The final dessert? A silky finale. Strawberry tart on a thin brioche, crowned with a sorbet of fennel and fermented black lemon. One bite was sun, the other shadow. A closing that never quite ends — because it stays with you.

A Dinner at Restaurant PUR: Six Glasses, Six Stories

A Night Where Wine Danced with the Dishes On a night that began with elegance and ended with originality, six wines paraded across the table like characters in a perfectly written screenplay.

The Drappier Rosé Nature Brut Champagne opened the evening with elegant discretion — dry, direct, an ideal partner for the varied amuse-bouches. A start that didn’t steal the scene but knew how to keep the rhythm.

Next, the Pitasso 2021 by Claudio Mariotto, a white Timorasso from Piedmont, brought personality. A touch of stone, almost petrol, flirting with the unexpected and beautifully matched with the salty peach and verbena. A white wine that makes you think and smile at once. A highlight of the night.

The Santenay Premier Cru 2022 by Justin Girardin was promising on the nose, but still young on the palate. Lacked the strength to stand up to the morels and their earthy flavors. A well-mannered young pinot — maybe at a dinner where everyone else was already raising their voice.

 Then came the charm: Pinot Gris Zellberg 2020 from Domaine Ostertag. A color between gold and rosé, a slightly sweet mouthfeel, and flawless pairing with the fish and accompaniments. A moment of pure harmony.

Then, L’Aurage 2012 from Castillon commanded respect. Notes of tobacco, ripe tannins, and a certain arrogance at first. Alone, maybe too bold. But with the lamb? A duo that understood each other at a glance. Firmness and tenderness. A modern classic.

Finally, a demi-sec Gamay sparkling — Made by G, by Gilles Gelin. Spontaneous, charming, with a Campari-like vibe that divided opinions. Didn’t shine with dessert, but delighted with its boldness. A wine that doesn’t ask permission — and we respect that.

Where Silence Speaks

At PUR, luxury doesn’t come from excess. It lies in precision. In the silence that follows a perfect dish. In the way Jean-François Rouquette and his team make everything seem easy — when in fact, they’re writing poetry with fire and knife.

It’s the kind of restaurant that doesn’t try to impress. It simply is. And that, in Paris, is true luxury.

Pur’ – Jean-François Rouquette
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, 5 Rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris

Gastronomos is a specialized travel company based in Paris, France, that plans meticulously-crafted journeys for discerning travelers who have a passion for culture, food, wine, and sustainable development. With our extensive expertise and connections in the wine, culinary, and travel industries, we curate exclusive, authentic experiences tailored to your unique interests and preferences. 
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