If you are in Paris for fashion week , you should check just a stone’s throw from the Jardin du Luxembourg, a prestigious building where Hélène Darroze and her team invite you every day to experience unexpected culinary creations; a unique, one-of-a-kind menu concocted in harmony with the chef’s emotions and mood.
Creations are prepared with the freshest of ingredients from the market. Céline, the sommelier, will invite you to pair them with a selection of wines served by the glass of the greatest crus that the cellar can boast. Feminine intuition joins forces with excellence to offer the ultimate fine dining experience…
At age 33, Hélène Darroze won two difficult bets: she left her family’s Relais & Château hotel and restaurant in Villeneuve-de-Marsan in the Southwest of France to set up her own restaurant on rue d’Assas in Paris while still keeping her one Michelin star. Her restaurant has been open for only four months, and she has been able to convince, with her talent and determination, not only the food critics, but also the French and foreign gourmets.
” Being the fourth generation of a family of chef, gastronomy is to me and the people working with me an opportunity to give others a unique form of pleasure by creating dishes that are dear to me and I hope will be dear to my guests. Above all I am trying to recreate a cuisine thatt is full of instincts and emotion : faithful and sensitive.
Emotion is the starting point, authenticity is the common thread and creative flair brings self-expression. ” says proudly Helene on a recent interview to Relais et Chateau.
In 2011, Nara and Rafael Papyan, fine jewellery specialists in Moscow, approached Helene to present their vision for a fine dining restaurant as part of their new boutique in Moscow.
Set in a magnificent 18th century mansion in an exclusive district, it was once owned by the family of Prince Alexander Volkonsky where poet Alexander Pushkin was one of the most renowned guests.
The brother and sister team have a vision to combine jewellery and fine dining, to make this historical residence a prime location for luxury and a top French restaurant in the Russian capital.
The idea of a new challenge showcasing French cuisine and produce with the backdrop of some of the best examples of European jewellery won me over. The Raff House restaurant will open its doors in Moscow in November 2012 and will be a new opportunity for me to express my personality and emotions and to demonstrate the authenticity and respect I champion.
Behind the building’s pseudo baroque façade, designed by the architect Nikitinenen in 1862, Milan designer Michele Mazzola is working alongside Rafael and Nara Papyan to make this residence a unique place where tradition and history come together using contemporary design.
It is the setting where I will offer food from the heart working as I do with exceptional ingredients and an outstanding French wine list, providing the Russian public with excellent and exceptional French cuisine.
More on other Helene Darroze venues below.
Joelle’s Picks:
~ Hélène Darroze – Fine dining restaurant Paris, London, Moscow
Being the fourth generation of a family of chef, gastronomy is to me and the people working with me an opportunity to give others a unique form of pleasure by creating dishes that are dear to me and I hope will be dear to my guests. Above all I am trying to recreate a cuisine thatt is full of instincts and emotion : faithful and sensitive.
Emotion is the starting point, authenticity is the common thread and creative flair brings self-expression.