Le Clarence

Chef Christophe Pelé has taken over this lavish 1884 private mansion just off the Champs-Élysées, an area he knows well, having worked at Ledoyen, Lasserre and Pierre Gagnaire, and last but not least at Le Royal Monceau – where chef Bruno Cirino (a protégé of Jacques Maximin) introduced him to his very seasonal and vegetable-focused cuisine, a philosophy he later successfully applied at his restaurant La Bigarrade. Today, he continues to deliver, in a luxurious decor that embodies the quintessence of French art de vivre. A big fan of Brittany, he is a true artist when it comes to combining surf and turf elements in uninhibited yet rigorous cuisine featuring bold marriages of flavours. The "surprise" set menu comes with a savvy series of "satellite" dishes all on the same theme (eg red mullet with beef marrow and sea urchin) and draws on wide-ranging influences – from Italy and Corsica to Japan. The wine list is enough to make your head spin; one of its two sections is devoted to the owner's prestigious wines. Ask to visit the attractive vaulted cellar that houses them.