Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse à L'HôTel De Paris

Le Louis XV is Alain Ducasse flagship restaurant. The service was top notch. Staffs were very attentive to details. My glass was never empty and bread/butter were always topped up. They always knew when to come by but not making us think we were always watched during the meal. As for the foods, I tried the agape menu and my favorite dish was the soufflé. The other dishes were okay. Presentation was good but the taste was not my style. The food taste is very subjective and other people might like it. For me, it could be better if they can list down all the dishes in the agape menu so that I can decide beforehand. If I knew which menu is on the agape, I would go with the a la carte option instead. But all in all, the overall experience was good and I did have a good time there.

We had high hopes going to Alain Ducasse for dinner as we had a wonderful experience at Le Cinq in Paris which renewed our hope in 3 star restaurants. The service was the best part of the meal—all of the staff were incredibly friendly and professional. However I felt that the food was disappointing. The balance was just off for a lot of the dishes. For example, in the oyster amusement bouche, the amount of sauce on the oyster was incredibly heavy and overwhelming. The morel appetizer that I had was incredibly heavy and salty. Again for our fish entree—I got the John Dory, the sauce was very heavy and again a large amount that overpowered the delicate fish and asparagus. The best thing that came with dessert was their homemade pannetone.

Exceptional service! From the superb amuse bouche down to the mignardises and petits fours, and most especially those small details were carefully curated for the tasting menu. Talking about details, it was most definitely a nice touch to pick up on handing me a basket of cookbooks and other reading materials to distract my attention. But the overall ambience of the restaurant already stole my attention - the artwork, the giant halo chandelier, the view from my table looking into the patio. Exceptional service because by the time I was ready to take some photos, I get cut off because the next course is already waiting. That surprise full kitchen tour with a little snack to enjoy made me giggle especially when you thought you'd just want a photo with the chef but they actually printed it off as a framed memento at the end of the service. The staff were just amazing and very engaging but not to the point of becoming unnecessarily annoying. And if you want to extend your night, Le Bar Americain adjacent to the restaurant is banging with live music with a glass of negroni to cap it off.

Alain Ducasse, now 69, was only thirty-three years old when Le Louis XV became the first Hotel restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars, and since that time the Chef and this room just off the entry of l'Hôtel de Paris has been synonymous with luxury. Currently toqued by Emmanuel Pilon, a native of Lyon who has been with Ducasse since 2009 and leading Le Louis XV since 2022, food takes on the Mediterranean with an embrace of seasonality while service led by Claire Sonnet is faultless whether one is wearing Richard Mille and Dior or blue haired in military boots. Booked for dinner as opposed to lunch, similar Tasting Menus and a la carte options save for the discounted daytime offering, “Agape” features five proper courses plus Cheese, Amuses and Mignardises for €420 while “Jardin” caters to Vegetarians for €290. A mix of Ducasse classics and Pilon’s creativity, Sancerre proving well-suited to seasonal Citrus, razor-thin Crackers begin the evening followed by five nibbles from which a shimmering Sardine Tartlette and fried Beets with Octopus were highlights. A well-paced meal in such a grand room, with no detail overlooked, Bread and good Butter is plentiful whether one prefers Baguette, Sourdough or Fougasse in two flavors prior to an Amuse of honeyed Oysters or sweet raw Shrimp beneath grilled Kiwi foam. Fully committed to the Riviera’s unique terroir, charred Mullet with Lime, Lemon and Hazelnuts in a velvety Potage the first proper plate, Pilon’s signature “Artichoke, Sea Anemone, Caviar” earns its accolades by way of sharply contrasting textures including a core of creamy Burrata. Leaning into early Spring next with White Asparagus and line-caught John Dory beneath a blanket of white, its subtle flavors setting up nicely for lightly cooked Lamb in its own Jus with natural salinity added by Samphire and Offal Ravioli spooned on later as an added surprise. Turning things over from here to Pastry Chef Sandro Micheli, bracing Sorbet followed by a plated Cheese Course with Quince and Salad, Bread Ice Cream soon gives way to a choice of Desserts including Ducasse’s famous Baba or Rhubarb Soufflé infused with Sauternes and modernity. Not done yet, a Coffee and Tea trolley following Pandoro sliced tableside, seasonal Citrus again finds itself featured first in four different Jellies and then at the center of handmade Chocolates before guests are presented with a complimentary loaf of Pandoro and menu to take home.