One of my favourite things about living in Europe (pre-Brexit and pre-Covid obviously) was the ease of travel. A quick escape was easily at your fingertips. Just an hour or two away, you could find yourself soaking in some culture at a local museum or art gallery, dining at a new local hotspot, sipping on sunset cocktails or strolling through the streets and shopping the trendiest fashion.
Once I was inspired to make a foodies daytrip to Paris from London starting with a wonderful lunch at the Michelin-star Septime. Oh what a delight to firstly have secured a highly coveted reservation and then to have experienced their lunch tasting menu with wine pairings.
At the helm of Septime's kitchen is Chef Bertrand Grébaut, formerly of Alain Passard’s three-Michelin star Arpège. Chef Grébaut's culinary prowess has earned Septime a top ranking as one of the World's 50 Best Restaurants at number 15.
Located in the 11th arrondissement in Paris, Septime is one of the pioneers of the neo-bistro/bistronomy movement - a reimagined approachable dining experience with a pared back dining space, relaxed service and a strong focus on freshness and local ingredients.
Septime offers a five course tasting menu at lunch and seven courses at dinner with an optional wine pairing. I definitely opted for the wine pairing with my lunch as Septime is well known for their interesting wine pairings sourced from Septime La Cave, their own Wine Bar & Wine Shop.
The Amuse Bouche was a delicately aged gouda that was whipped into a very smooth cream. The flavours were both sharp and sweet and paired nicely with a Sparkling wine.
Septime sources their seafood from fishermen who use sustainable fishing methods that limit the impact on the marine environment. The delicate and sweet flavour of the scallops is a clear indication of its quality sourcing.
Fresh scallops are thinly sliced and laid in a cold root bouillon with a light drizzle of coffee oil. The scallops are topped with a sprinkle of cardamom and slices of kumquat which add a nice crunchy texture to the soft flesh of the scallops. What a refreshing dish on the palette.
The scallops were paired with a fragrant Katori sake, brewed by Terada Honke. The sake was a nice pairing with clean citrus flavours which enhanced the sweetness of the scallops.
The next course was a dish of roasted endives in bone marrow, mussel sauce and topped with Cote de Cochon lardons du cantal fumee. A very unique pairing of flavours with the bone marrow, lardons and mussels which worked well. The roasted endives were charred to perfection.
The roasted endives were paired with a very interesting Biodynamic "Orange Wine", 2015 Kaplja from the vineyards of Damijan Podversic. This medium-bodied wine is produced from Damijan's terraced vineyard in Gorizia, near Italy's border with Slovenia. Kaplja is a blend of Chardonnay, Friulano and Malvasia Istrana and is fermented on skins in neutral oak for 60 days.
The main dish was a succulent pinkish roast pork tenderloin served with porcini mushrooms. A 2004 Domaine Valette, Vielles Vignes Reserve Le Clos de Monsieur Noly Poully Fuisse was served with the Pork loin. The acidity of this Burgundian chardonnay perfectly cut through and balanced the richness and fat of the roast loin.
And finally for the dessert, a Pear Sabayon paired with a sweet 2000 vintage Vin de Voile de Robert et Bernard Plageoles.
What a lovely lunch, so worth the day trip to Paris. Of course my foodies daytrip wouldn't be complete without exploring the glorious shops at Place de Madeleine, perusing truffles, foie gras, macarons, madeleines. With arms laden with yummy Parisian delicacies and a belly full of Septime's tasty treats, I boarded the Eurostar back to London vowing to be back again soon to the City of Lights for another foodies day adventure.
LOCATION
Septime
80 Rue de Charonne
75011 Paris
France
HOURS
Monday to Friday 12:15pm-2pm and 7:30pm-11pm
Closed on Saturday and Sunday
RESERVATIONS
Advance reservations are required online or by phone at +33 (0)1 43 67 38 29
MOST RECENT VISIT
1 Feb 2018