Overlooking the hotel’s marble courtyard and garden, Le Cinq restaurant is tastefully fine and luxurious, dressed in grey and gold. The tablecloths, china and silver were all created specifically for this legendary hotel built in 1928.
The menu draws upon classic French culinary techniques and also embraces newer, lighter cooking styles, incorporating the freshest regional ingredients.
Our perfect, intuitive service began when we were led, not to our table, but to sit and relax on couches and comfy chairs in the reception area. Champagne started to flow and little cloth baskets of fried calamari and shrimp appeared. Before the baskets were empty, another would arrive, so we only nibbled on the morsels when hot.
Don, and Kristy with her personalized menu, “Happy Birthday Kristy”
Les Fleurs
One can smell flowers upon entering the hotel. The bold floral statements set against classic architecture create a look that is the signature of Four Seasons Hotel George V Artistic Director, Jeffrey Leatham.
Jeff Leatham dresses the grande dame of avenue George V in an abundance of fresh blooms. Nine thousand are shipped in from the Netherlands each week!
LE CINQ
Table d’hôte
After enjoying our Champagne, we are escorted to our table for eight which is separated from the main restaurant room by an amazing arrangement of Jeff Leatham’s flowers. On the table, the hydrangea centerpieces with scattered white rose petals were breathtaking.
The china is gorgeous. The woman with angel cameo in the center of the platter mirrors the large medallions on the walls of the elegant dining room.
amuse-bouche
les vins
Champagne Diebolt Vallois Blanc de Blanc
Puligny Montrachet 2006 Domaine Carillon
Vosne-Romanée 2006 Domaine David Duband
Riesling Lieser, Niederberg Helden Spatlese 2004, Weingut Schloss Lieser
entrée
morilles et asperges d’Argenteuil
morilles et asperges d’Argenteuil
Morel mushrooms and white asparagus,
Creamy risotto Acquerello with Méréville watercress,
Gravy juice / St Yrieix bacon, delicate licorice
foie gras de canard des Landes
Fresh duck foie gras from the Landes region,
roasted with black Sarawak pepper, braised rhubarb
Gariguette strawberries with elderberry juice
poularde de Bresse
Farm hen from the Bresse region “Excellence Miéral”
Served in a casserole dish with verbena / candied lemon baby carrots
With fresh curcuma / slow simmered sorrel
salades de saison mélangées
Seasonal green salad with truffled vinaigrette
sélection de nos Maîtres fromagers
Pierre Sauvager and his delightfully convivial team provided the most impeccable, flawless service. Merci beaucoup Pierre!
Under the direction of:
Eric Briffard, Chef des Cuisines
Thierry Hamon, Chef Sommelier
Eric Beaumard, Directeur de Restaurant
les desserts
le gâteau d’anniversaire
Joyeux anniversaire dear Kristy!
le chariot de desserts
mignardise
Dessert heaven began with a red fruit Vacherin with tangy lemon meringue, and the wild strawberries in crystallized verbena candied rhubarb, a unique intriguing basil verrine, and many more! Next came Kristy’s birthday cake, a chocolate napoleon George V style. We all agreed that this was the most extraordinary birthday cake. After that, the dessert cart arrived, with a dizzying assortment of small sweet bites, and a necessary espresso.
un petit cadeau
Additionally, we were each given a box of candies to take with us. I brought mine home with me, and reminisced about the most exquisite dining experience ever while I savored these candies days later in Los Angeles. I will not soon forget the powerful aroma of strawberries wafting from the foie gras course, nor the heady bouquet of truffles emanating from what looked to be a simple green salad, and was anything but. This entire meal was masterful…
A most sincere and heartfelt thank you to Don, le frère le plus généreux au monde, the most generous brother in the world, for hosting this grand luxe experience. And to my dear sister-in-law, I’m so glad I could join you in Paris to help celebrate your 40th! Love you both.
LE CINQ
V
une légende parisienne
Looks like an enchanted evening.
This a real classic place to be in-those purple orchids looks tropical-the creamy looking foie gras is awesome!
Sounds amazing! For as wonderful as the whole meal sounds, the fried calamari and champagne sounds like a whole new level of service. How decadent and wonderful!
What an excellent meal! I would really love a taste of that foie gras with strawberries and the cheeses of course!
Whoa, is that beyond decadent or what? I really would have wanted to see/read the components of the desserts but I don't blame you for being too busy enjoying them haha 🙂
All I can say is DIVINE!!!!
This is AMAZING Lori Lynn! The dishes, table setting, the photo's..( I liked them all but really saw an artists view in the black and white clicking of the wine glasses). But the food.. wow, so spectacular. Great article!!
This evening oozes posh, class and fab food. You took some great pics…hard to do at such an event.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful adventures with us. As always, I enjoyed your photo essay.
Wow that was simply awesome! I can see that you had a great evening 🙂
What an experience! That meal tops so many of the dishes we had in Paris. Beautiful.
That was a wonderful post. Everything..scenery to food looks enticing. You must have had a glorious, most memorable evening.
OH My God! How Fabulous! Lori Lynn, your photos are gorgeous, your post is completely amazing. What a lucky you are.
Happy Birthday to your s~i~l!
…paris…sigh…
Take me with you next time you go. I can stow away in your luggage. I don't take that much room. LOL.
The George V, ooohhh la la!
Wow oh wow oh wow. I've never experienced such an extravaganza and I'm so thrilled you took us all along! I'm going to go read it all over again. Just reading it makes me feel glamorous…and hungry.
I am left speechless (and salivating)!
Wow, such a memorable evening…thanks for sharing the pictures…it was fun looking at the pictures.
What an incredible dinner and evening! Thanks so much for taking us along.
It reminds me of all the wonderfully prepared food that I had the good fortune to be allowed in the late 1970's while working as a GO for the Club Med that used to be in Kauai, HI. The chefs for the Club Med were all career chefs, and the food was wonderful!
I'm so jealous. I would love to eat there. Quel frère généreux.
Wow – It's only breakfast time, and I'm starving. I feel like I've just taken a whirlwind vacation to the greatest food city in the world!
Wow, this is very fancy and classy
Wow! The first comment described my reaction best, "Looks like an enchanted evening." 😉
Paz
My, what a feast for the eyes and the palate!
A wonderful experience for all of the senses:D
What a place for a gourmand like you who knows to appreciate the treasures offered!
Wow. I really should be hanging out with you in Paris. Such a beautiful meal and the setting is gorgeous.
I love the juxtaposition of this meal with the July 4th hotdog.
"Some enchanted evening…" and then some, better because you were with ones that you already love.
Wow, what an amazing place, the meal looks to die for!
LL – Thank you for this wonderful trip down memory lane. I had the VERY good fortune to stay at Le Cinq a few years back at the beginning of a two year stay in Paris while I studied at Le Cordon Bleu. Your beautiful photos brought the opulence of the hotel, and especially the flower arrangements rushing back to me. I would always stop in whenever passing by, just to see what new magic Leatham had created. The display was always jaw-dropping. How did you manage such great photos while dining there? The foie gras looks perfect. I've never had it with strawberries…do tell.
OMGosh! what an incredible experience. The photos are sumptuous also.