Fine dining is in a weird, weird way, these days, with some declaring it dead and others claiming it’s more essential to the dining scene than ever before. (And yes, I’m aware of the impartiality of my sources, but I’ve heard both rumblings on the ground in Paris, too.
Tourists are returning to Paris, but restaurateurs are divided on how to welcome them. The fact is that many left the hospitality industry during the months of lockdown, and most establishments in the capital are short-staffed: problematic no matter what kind of restaurant you own, but particularly so when you’re hoping for that oh-so-French fine dining allure.
Cleo is the restaurant of the chic Narcisse hotel, a boutique luxury establishment hidden between the golden dome of Invalides and the bronze Eiffel Tower. Beneath a glass ceiling, the small dining room is cozy but impeccable – a welcome hint at what’s in store.
Chef Bruno Aubin became beloved to a certain set of the French during his stint on Top Chef, but it’s not all razzmatazz, here. The lunch menu has a firm identity that effortlessly walks the line between the codes of fine dining and what is, to my mind, the stalwart essential of any food: nourishment. This food is tasty. It’s moreish. I have no better word than the one I uttered as I scooped up the last spoonful of this butternut squash amuse bouche topped with butter-fried croutons and grated chestnut and truffle.
Delightful.
For lunch, you have the choice of ordering à la carte or a 29-euro lunchtime formule of main and café gourmand. My dining companion opted for the latter: four seared scallops on a bed of melting leeks that, to hear her tell it, have anti-depressant properties.
I, meanwhile, pulled an Emily and ordered two appetizers: first, this salad of beets and carrots marinated in honey, turmeric, and melissa and served with a yogurt drizzle and a carrot-mustard reduction. At first bite, the pile of jewel-toned veggies seemed a bit under-seasoned, but when drawn through that combo of sauces, it revealed its true potential: a balance of sweet and savory with some lightly bitter notes from the turmeric. It’s a far more playful dish than one usually finds at tables of this caliber, one that isn’t easy to eat neatly. That’s part of the fun.
Next up was this artichoke three ways: the heart as a base, cooked in shellfish broth; a purée covering meticulously minced mirepoix veggies; and chips seasoned with the barest hint of vadouvan, for a curry aroma that is far more present on the nose than on the palate. The dish is more subtle than I would have expected, given the shellfish, which lends a pleasant brininess as a counterpoint to the nutty artichoke. The layering of flavors here was lovely, and as for that broth…
… I sopped it all up with bread from my fave, Ten Belles. (The butter is excellent too.)
At this point, despite having eaten only appetizers, I was full. But I was also informed, in no uncertain terms, that I simply had to order the barre à  la cuillère – a “chocolate bar” intended to be eaten with a spoon.
Holy Moly.
You’re looking at an upscale Snickers: chocolate mousse laced with caramelized peanuts and topped with a dark chocolate cookie crumble, fleur de sel, and ice cream. A caramel drizzle over the top pushes this into next-level territory.
Cleo – 19, Boulevard de la Tour-Maubourg, 75007