39, avenue de l’Opéra
75002 Paris
Phone: 01.42.61.56.90
Metro Station: Pyramides (Lines 7 and 14) and Opéra (Lines 3, 7, and 8)
Type of cuisine: Trendy French
Days & hours of operation: Mon to Fri 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Credit card: Visa, American Express, MasterCard
Cuisine L’E7 is a restaurant operated by the Hotel Edouard 7, located not far from the Palais Garnier. The dining room is quite attractive, with burgundy and bronze fabric on the backs of the chairs and burgundy and rose fabric on the backs of the benches. Textured brown wallpaper and dark wood tones throughout, cherry-wood floors, and tables with aluminized tops with dark-wood trim, all combine to lend a reposing atmosphere to this place. While we dined, lounge music, and then jazz, played over the sound system.
The name Lepers 6° on the drink menu sparked my interest to order this beverage as an apéritif. Served on tap at the bar, it is an artisanal beer brewed in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, one of the twenty-seven regions of France. Unfortunately, the keg was empty so I settled for a 1664 Blanc, a beer brewed from wheat by Kronenbourg. 1664 Blanc is a white beer and was, as the menu described it, fresh with a fruity bouquet. My partner ordered a Kir à la crème de pêche and remarked about how she enjoyed the assertive flavor of the peach.
For the starter (which the restaurant calls préludes), I ordered Chaire et minces de tourteau, gelée de pamplemousse et avocat, mayonnaise ponzu. The waiter brought a wide goblet containing crab meat prepared with ponzu, a citrus-based sauce used in Japanese cuisine. The dish was quite tempting, and the jellied morsels of grapefruit added special appeal. My partner opted for Velouté de potimarron en capuccino de noisette, paysanne de légumes au lard. Served in a wide-brimmed, deep bowl, it was pumpkin soup cradled in a hazelnut-flavored froth and flavored with finely sliced bacon and bits of cooked vegetables.
Continuing the gourmet adventure, I requested Noix de Saint Jacques grillée, purée de courge butternut, émulsion mandarine à la moutarde, a flavorful dish of five plump, succulent grilled scallops resting on a bed of coarsely-puréed butternut squash. The scallops were mouthwatering and the butternut squash added an autumnal touch to the dish. My partner selected Suprême de volaille au romarin, tartine d’aubergine, courgettes grillées, tomates cerises et concombre. It was an unusual and colorful dish. The chicken breast was rolled around a sprig of rosemary and served in the shape of a log. Next to it lay an elongated slice of eggplant topped with baked cherry tomatoes, grilled sticks of zucchini, and rolled slices of cucumber. The chicken was tender and nicely perfumed with the rosemary.
Bread rolls were served alongside in small dishes.
To accompany her meal, my partner ordered a glass of Château Chanteloiseau 2010, a medium-bodied red wine with an assertive finish from Graves—a subregion of the Bordeaux wine region.
Out of the eight desserts from which to choose, I selected Crêpe Suzette et sorbet à l’orange, comme l’aimait Edouard 7. This little bit of information (comme l’aimait Edouard 7) that King Edward VII of England loved crêpes Suzette influenced my choice, and I was served a plate of three folded crêpes topped with a scoop of orange sorbet. The sorbet supplied most of the orange flavor—the pancakes were not doused with Grand Marnier as I had anticipated. My partner decided upon the Mousse de marron en feuilles de brick croustillantes, glace noisette-caramel. Two layers of chestnut mousse sandwiched between three layers of brick pastry made a light, satisfying combination. A scoop of chestnut ice cream provided an additional treat!
The service was friendly and helpful.
The bill for two persons, including two apéritifs, two starters, two main courses, two desserts, and one glass of wine, came to 87.70€. (As we had reserved through lafourchette.com, a 30% discount was applied to the food items. The original total would have been 115.00€).
This restaurant should please diners who seek modern French cuisine presented with stylish panache.
Tom Reeves has been a confirmed Francophile since he first traveled to France in 1975. A native of northern California, he moved to France permanently in 1992. Reeves’ love of French language and culture inspired him to create Discover Paris!, a travel planning service that caters to Americans interested in cultural travel to Paris. His book, Paris Insights – An Anthology, has been called “the kind of insider’s view of the French capital…that first or even second time visitors pine for.” He publishes a monthly newsletter entitled Paris Insights about history, culture, and contemporary life in the City of Light, and posts daily information about the French capital on Facebook.
Cuisine L’E7,
