L’Opéra Restaurant, Palais Garnier

In the very heart of the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, the new Opera Restaurant has finally opened its doors and is inviting you on a futuristic journey to discover French cuisine.

In 1870, Charles Garnier had included a restaurant in his drawing plans for the palace. But we have had to wait over a century and a half to finally see his vision take shape, thanks to Pierre François Blanc, who completed the renovation this summer.

So on the 27^th June this year, the spectacular Opera restaurant in the middle of the Palais Garnier was opened to the public. In the form of a large, oddly shaped balcony, the restaurant offers an aesthetic as well as a tasting experience, and has already become a true landmark in the French capital.

And at the head of this huge project was the architect Odile Decq, who when designing the restaurant, envisioned ‘an indescribable and really modern’ place. It is almost like a ship, gliding under the huge dome of the palace, with a cloud-like shape that has been built around the existing features of the legendary building, without changing them at all.

The restaurant really is impressive and manages to strike the perfect balance between classic and modern.

The Opera restaurant consists of three main spaces, spreading out over 700m2: the main room, the Martini lounge bar and the terrace. Outside, there are also tables on the pavements of Opéra, taking up an area of 500m2.

As for the colour scheme, the architect went for red, ‘the colour of life’, and a black floor, ‘just how it was there before’. The walls have been painted in an off-white colour, which according to the artist ‘gives more presence’.

In the kitchen, it is the Michelin star chef, Christophe Aribert, who is in control.

He called upon the help of many other chefs to produce the menu for the restaurant, working closely with head chef Yamm Tanneau (Castel Beau Site, Mama Shelter), sous-chef Didier Quenouelle and pastry chef Hervé Moreau (Pierre Gagnaire, Michel Rostang). They all helped him to rise to the challenge and design dishes which are in keeping with this other-worldly place and the perfect combination of both modern and classic.

On the menu are some classic dishes but also some more creative options. For example, the Opera palate cleanser includes honey collected from the bees kept at the top of the building.

The menu has also been influenced by the hometowns of the two chefs. So there is lobster, whiting and sole, all chosen by Yann Tanneau, who is from Brittany, as well as trout and guinea fowl inspired by the regional dishes of Isère, the birthplace of Christophe Aribert. For some dishes, you can even choose between two different versions, modern or classic.

So whether you’re an opera lover or just simply curious, don’t think twice about coming to visit the Opera restaurant. Even though it hasn’t yet had time to establish a good reputation for its food, the actual place itself, designed by Odile Decq, makes the visit more than worth-while.

The restaurant is open every day from 7pm until midnight and is also open for the matinée guests after the shows.

L’Opéra Restaurant

Palais Garnier, Place Jacques Rouché 75009 Paris
T : +33 1 42 68 86 80

SHARE THE LOVE

Tweet