One very nice thing about Paris is how easy it is – relatively speaking – to get a restaurant reservation for pretty much any night you could hope for. This isn’t true in a lot of other great food cities like New York or even London and while, on the one hand, it means that last-minute dinner plans are pretty easy, on the other, it means that anywhere that’s tough to get a reservation at is pretty much off my radar.
This was unfortunately long the case for Septime, which, while definitely a restaurant I was (very) aware of, existed a bit like a white whale in the dining scene of Paris. I always knew I wanted to go there; I planned to make it eventually. But any time I, on a whim, tried to call and make a reservation, the phone rang into the abyss.
I’m very lucky, then, that a friend had made a reservation weeks ago and that the two people with whom she was supposed to go had backed out at the last minute.
Friends, I have tasted the heavens.
Septime is a neo-bistro from the mind of Bertrand Grébaut. Modern yet upscale, Septime offers the perfect blend of the no-nonsense vibe that I so love about the neo-bistro movement while still making diners feel far more special than they would in some of my favorite wine bars.
The crew is welcoming and service is great (in fact, we had several different servers come over at various points in the evening – often to ask us the same questions. That said, we both agreed that we’d rather be over-served than under-served.)
There is no menu, no choices to speak of. The servers asking the aforementioned questions make note of any allergies or aversions, and then the set menu begins, starting with an amuse bouche: on the night we visited, this consisted of breadsticks and a cheese emulsion that was decadently pure and rich in flavor – a great sign of what was to come.
We first enjoyed my second-favorite dish of the night: a venison tartare with fermented currants, juniper mayonnaise, and hibiscus powder. The bright color of this dish was so intriguing, and the bright flavors did not disappoint, making it a great way to start things off.
Our second dish was probably my third-favorite of the night: a parsley velouté in three layers. On the bottom was a parsley root soup, topped with a burnished cream and finished with a parsley leaf velouté. The layers actually held quite well, meaning that each spoonful was the ideal blend of all three.
Next, we enjoyed a foie gras ravioli with pickled squash served in an XO broth. This one, while delicious, was a slight miss for both of us: while I enjoyed the toothsome texture of the ravioli, I found the broth to be a touch too sweet. My dining companion, meanwhile, enjoyed the flavors but thought the ravioli were a bit too al dente. We did both agree that the pickled squash was delightful.
This was, hands-down, my favorite dish of the evening. While in the photos – and in real life! – it looks like braised beef, it is, in fact, a plant-based dish. (The visual effect was so convincing I actually asked our server to repeat herself when she explained what this one was.)
Her answer?
A braised radicchio topped with shredded cheese. It so perfectly unites bitter, sweet, and umami flavors that if I hadn’t been raised so well I would have licked the plate clean.
The last dish of the night was perhaps the least exciting – scallops on the half-shell with spinach. They were, of course, perfectly cooked and seasoned; they were just a bit less innovative than some of the other dishes we enjoyed.
We opted to skip the cheese course, as we were already growing full, so we moved right to the dessert duo.
The first was a yellow wine ice cream served with a caramel drizzle.
The second – my favorite – was a lemon curd with brown butter breadcrumbs, honey, and cream. Sprinkled on top are individual grains of lemon that burst as you bite into them. I asked for another bowl to go.
(The server was nice and laughed at my bad joke.
Oh dear; I’m becoming my father.)
Septime is definitely a place to budget for, but, at least as far as I’m concerned, the price tag is merited – perhaps more than at some other high-dining establishments. For while, in Paris, technique and flavors are pretty much always spot-on at these haute cuisine spots, what Septime brings to the table is an inventiveness that you just won’t find at most restaurants.
As someone who cooks at home, I’m known for (pretty frequently) saying that I want a restaurant experience to bring me something I can’t get at home. And Septime by far exceeds that demand: unique pairings and flavor combinations, compounded by flawless technique, makes a place like Septime a dream come true for me.
I was not disappointed, and I will be back.
Septime – 80 rue de Charonne, 75011