Buzz in Paris: Ducasse’s New Vegetable Focus at the Plaza Athénée

Alain Ducasse at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris

The talk of the town here in Paris is the opening of Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée after the palace hotel’s 11 month-closure for renovation. Not only does the restaurant have a glamorous new look by design duo Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, but the superstar chef is making waves for his new sustainable approach to French haute cuisine.

While not solely vegetarian, the menu focuses on “naturalité.” To quote Le Monde, “From now on, the celebrated chef will only propose line-caught fish and vegetables from the “Queen’s Garden” (cultivated at the Château de Versailles) along with organic grains. “The planet has finite resources, and it’s absolutely necessary to consume in a more ethical and sustainable way,” Ducasse said.

Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris

Dishes include black rice cooked in the oven with shellfish, squid and octopus; Mediterranean fish with bulgur wheat in a tagine; and Anjou grown quinoa and seafood. The new menu will retain “palace prices” of €380.

As the chef has always been an avant-garde leader in the world of gastronomy, will his new model spawn a revolution? Prior to its closure, the restaurant Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée had three Michelin stars. For more information, visit www.dorchestercollection.com/en/paris/hotel-plaza-athenee

Photos courtesy of Hotel Plaza Athénée