Restaurant Review: The Cristal Room, Baccarat, Paris
Occasionally when reviewing a restaurant, you’re so taken by how nice the crockery is that you find yourself turning over plates and peering at their undersides—in the most surreptitious way possible for the benefit of your fellow diners—to see who made them, but rarely does one’s excitement about the crockery merit a mention in the finished article. Today, however, is different; although I promise that I will eventually get on to talking about the food, I have to start with the crockery.
In the 18th century, Louis XV (of Madame de Pompadour fame), gave permission for a glassworks to be set up in the town of Baccarat in Lorraine, France. By the 19th century, the glassworks were world famous, producing crystal for royal houses and heads of state around the world. (It was during this time that they made the world’s largest chandelier, which to this day hangs in the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul). After the second world war, Baccarat arrived in the United States and since then successive US presidents and their wives have commissioned tableware from the French manufacturer. Today, Baccarat continues to produce crystal, of a more modern form, and the history of the brand is celebrated in two museums, one in Lorraine and one on the Place d’Etats Unis, in the expensive embassy district of Paris near the Champs Elysee and the Palais de Tokyo.
As it turns out, these days you don’t have to be a head of state to eat off Baccarat crystal because the Paris Museum features a restaurant, the ‘Cristal Room’. Of course, if you’re going to eat off the glassware of royalty, you need food, decor—and prices—to match. Happily, Guy Martin (see: Le Grand Vefour) and Thierry Molinengo are running the kitchen, and the museum has been created in the former mansion of Marie-Laure de Noailles, with decor by Philippe Starck.
The glamour of the setting was well matched by the food, foie gras to start, which was delicious and surprisingly well matched with lychee, which has a kind of fresh sweetness as opposed to the heavy sweetness of a jam or chutney. Veal sweetbreads came next, crispy on the outside and melting on the inside—not everyday that you find offal so well prepared. Dessert was equally luxurious, Mirabel plum soufflé in the manner of the one served at the Waterside Inn in Bray, delicious.
Also worth mentioning was the exhibition of Baccarat dinnerware, labelled with the names of those who commissioned the pieces—each set curiously of its era—definitely a good way to walk off the meal.
The important questions:
What kind of food: modern cuisine, vegetarian options—some of the menu items might leave you reaching for Google—definitely order the sweetbreads.
Who to go with: adventurous types, people with cause for celebration, foodies … or someone with a secret penchant for glassware.
When to go: the lunch formula is good value, but the glamour of the room deserves visiting at dinnertime.
What should I wear: if there’s something in the wardrobe that you don’t usually bring out because it’s too fancy, then now is the moment. Otherwise, smart clothes won’t make you feel out of place.
Where is it: on the Place d’Etats Unis, in amongst the embassies near the Palais de Tokyo.
How long do I need: the food will take more than an hour, but you definitely need to give time to look around the glassware exhibition across the landing.
Verdict:
Food 4/5
Service 4/5
Atmosphere 5/5
Value for money 4/5
Overall: ****