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Dinner at Ledoyen
with
Julien Walther
at
Alléno Paris at Pavillon Ledoyen
on 15 September 2025
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Another visit to Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen and another reminder of why this house remains one of the benchmarks of French haute cuisine. The restaurant, set in the historic neoclassical pavilion on the Champs-Élysées, radiates both gravitas and comfort — a stage worthy of Yannick Alléno’s three-star vision.
Alléno himself has long been known for his obsession with sauces, extractions, and fermentations, pushing French tradition into contemporary territory while never losing sight of clarity and precision. The execution, however, rests in the hands of his Chef de Cuisine, Vincenzo Tirelli, who runs the kitchen with rigor and sensitivity. He is the one who translates Alléno’s philosophy into the finely tuned dishes that reach the table.
The menu unfolded as a series of seasonal meditations. A delicate “Moineaux” tomato gmochi opened with lightness and herbal freshness. Then came porcini, gratinated with pink onions and parmesan, lifted by the subtle sweetness of fresh fig flesh. A fillet of wild turbot arrived steamed and glossed with lobster butter — a dish of pure refinement, its richness kept in check by shiso and basil.
The highlight was intensely personal: when the team called ahead to discuss preferences, I mentioned that Tomoko does not enjoy sweetbreads, though I love them. On the night, Tirelli arranged a special portion just for me. What arrived was perhaps one of the three best sweetbread dishes I’ve ever had — marinated overnight with baker’s yeast, paired with farmhouse milk, black lime, and sweet onions. It had an almost impossible balance of texture, richness, and acidity.
Desserts moved gracefully from light to indulgent: a verbena-flavoured cloud with milk punch and apple sorbet; a Solliès fig folded into a Neapolitan sfogliatelle with fig-leaf sauce; and finally, the “modern merveilleux” of Mathilda with coffee butter cream and cocoa mucilage chips.
My friend Julien Walther recently published his own reflections on a meal here in his article “Alléno Paris – die Zukunft der Tradition”. I particularly agree with the title — “the future of tradition” feels exactly like what Alléno Paris embodies. This dinner confirmed that sentiment: heritage and innovation, each elevating the other, with personal touches that make this much more than a display of technique.
9 / 10
