There are timeless places that we love to visit for a special occasion, to celebrate something, or simply to treat ourselves to a magical evening. The Pavillon de la Grande Cascade and its famous restaurant, hidden in the Bois de Boulogne and run for several generations by the Menut family, is one of those establishments. Those that enchant you and take you on a culinary journey, for the duration of a fairytale dinner in this Michelin-starred restaurant.
Everything there is a celebration: the setting, the attentive service that remains extremely friendly, the cuisine, and the wine selection, which is of a very high caliber. The escapade isn’t cheap, but it remains a luxury to treat yourself to from time to time, to mark the occasion and leave with stars in your eyes, as was the case for us that evening. Upon arriving, one is captivated by the magnificent glass and metal canopy of this former Napoleon III hunting lodge with its Art Nouveau style, which sets the tone for a place halfway between the Belle Époque and the Roaring Twenties.
By chance, it was for the first real summer evening of this rainy year that my favorite photographer and I visited this enchanting address for a lovely invitation that coincided almost randomly with a personal celebration that was close to our hearts. As a result, we were able to dine on the very pleasant shaded terrace of the establishment, which allowed us to take some beautiful photos with the natural end-of-day light.
As for the cuisine, we find chef Frédéric Robert (with an impressive CV filled with the names of great establishments), who for over 10 years has maintained the Michelin star acquired by the restaurant in 1965 and never lost since. We are obviously in awe of such consistency, also ensured by a brigade of 20 cooks and 10 head waiters. As for the menu, priority is obviously given to carefully selected seasonal products—how could it be otherwise at a table of this quality?
To taste:
All the dishes you see below, which we enjoyed, are part of the “Itinerary” tasting menu.
- The homemade breads are a delight, and I particularly recommend trying the fleur de sel brioche—it’s to die for! The latter, by the way, reminded me of the flaky rye bread I discovered very recently at the La Parisienne bakery.
- The Brittany crab served natural with avocado and royal Osetra caviar.
- The crispy langoustine in kataifi (a type of angel hair breading) with snow peas and almonds.
- John Dory fillet studded with lemon, sucrine lettuce, and Indian vanilla.
- One of the house signature dishes: the black truffle macaroni with foie gras, celery, and parmesan gratin, which is truly one of the menu’s must-tries—a definite test, even during the summer.
- Supreme of poultry with asparagus and morel mushrooms.
- As for dessert, those by pastry chef Nelson Lechien are very refined; here, the yellow sun crisp with lemon cream, tarragon sorbet, and candied citrus zest—light, crispy, and graphic.
The highlight: the high quality of the food and wine pairings offered by the sommelier (I won’t soon forget the magnificent Condrieu I discovered that evening).
Price: Market menu (lunch) from €112 excluding drinks with appetizer, main, and dessert / Vegetable menu (lunch and dinner €128 / “Itinerary” discovery menu in 6 stages at €218 per person (supplement for food and wine pairing)
Pavillon de la Grande Cascade Allée de Longchamp, Bois de Boulogne 75016 Paris Open every day for lunch and dinner
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Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
