For years Alain Passard has been recognized for his vision and culinary wizardry, especially with vegetables. Our last visit revealed a chef at the top of his game reveling in his ability to surprise and delight diners with amazing dishes that emphasize the essential flavors of the ingredients.
This is one of our favorite top tier gourmet restaurants anywhere, offering an excellent balance of charming historic ambiance, warm and attentive service, broad wine list options and delectable French world class food.
We thoroughly enjoyed our most recent meal at Le Cinq in December 2007. Every one of the chef’s creations that day was outstanding and the service was efficient, warm, and accommodating, the way we remembered it from our first visit to the famous Parisian restaurant.
Just steps from the Petit Palais and the Champs Elysees Ledoyen was a world away from the everyday. After we surrendered our winter coats with the reception staff we were escorted up one flight of stairs to the restaurant’s spacious dining room. A few moments later we were comfortably seated at a corner table and gazing at the Champs through one of the many windows of the handsome salon.
A short scenic drive from Cape Town led us to Waterford Estate, best known for its Shiraz and most recently for The Jem, a premium blend of eight varietals. Time was short and we could only visit one or two cellars. A local oenophile who directed us to Waterford said that the wine and chocolate tasting was not to be missed.
Staying at Beaumont House, more like a luxury bed and breakfast than a hotel, was an unexpected pleasure. The lovingly restored home is nestled in a Cape Town residential neighborhood. It was named Beaumont by its new owners, a charming English couple, in honor of the nearby Table Mountain. Thanks to our brief stay at Beaumont House we gained a deeper and more expansive appreciation of the Cape Town area and its environs than we have experienced during previous visits.
