Le Clarence Paris restaurant is owned by the Prince of Luxembourg, who is also the proprietor of the first growth Bordeaux vineyard, Château Haut-Brion. The impressive reputation of the chef and the chance to enjoy “the excellence of the French art of living, within a superb Parisian private mansion” combined to make this one of our culinary highlights on a recent trip to Paris.
Dining in an Elegant French Mansion
It is difficult to pick restaurants to eat at in Paris. There are so many to choose from. By the way, France is the country with the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world but as a city, Paris has the second most M-starred restaurants. The top spot goes to Tokyo. Le Clarence Paris caught our eye with its beautiful decor and was one of the earliest restaurant booking we made once the trip was confirmed.
According to the restaurant website, Le Clarence opened in November 2015 after a round of refurbishment and decorations by creative craftsmen. These were done according to the instructions of H.R.H. Prince Robert of Luxemburg, who wished to reproduce in Paris the unique ambiance of Château Haut-Brion.
H.R.H. Prince Robert of Luxemburg apparently took a hands-on approach to decorating the space. “He searched at antique dealerships, second-hand shops, and flea markets to carefully select paintings, vases, and antique furniture that would evoke the refined, warm, and welcoming atmosphere of the finest Bordeaux estates. The result is an inviting and comfortable space that feels lived-in and authentic.” This description alone would make us sufficiently curious to make a visit to Le Clarence.
Le Clarence Paris Menu
Chef Christophe Pelé had worked in famous French restaurants such as Ledoyen, Lasserre, Pierre Gagnaire, and Le Bristol. At Le Clarence, there is no fixed menu, but rather a variety of dishes based on “exceptional and seasonal products”. For lunch there are three options. We opted for the most affordable one – Lunch Menu in 3 sequences at €150 Euros per person.
Le Clarence Wine List
Being a restaurant owned by the proprietor of Château Haut-Brion, the Le Clarence wine list is extensive. Presented in two hardcover volumes, there should be enough choices of French wines for most diners. The only time we had tasted the illustrious Bordeaux was at our lunch at Odette restaurant, which by the way has been moving up The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It is currently at #14, Le Clarence is #67.
Here is a page from the wines by the glass menu.
An Unusual Lunch in Paris
Our lunch in Paris started in the usual manner with a serving of some snacks in the form of bread sticks and other bite sized items. In a normal lunch, what follows would be the appetiser dish, a main course (usually a choice of fish or meat) and dessert. At Le Clarence, things did not proceed in this way. All we were told was that the items will be served is small quantities and mostly seafood based. And so we had a lunch of clusters of small dishes served for each segment. Which was good because there was much variety and surprise. But not good for writing a blog because there were so many items and I cannot remember their details or even the sequence (although that may not make any difference as the dishes will change at any time).
An Unusual Lunch in Paris – The First Part
Usually referred to as the appetiser, our first part of our meal at Le Clarence Paris. Tiny seafood items were served in this segment. Quality over quantity is the theme at this lunch.
Lunch at Le Clarence Paris: Part 2
The next set of of dishes were larger but still small.
Cups of soup followed by langoustine, clams and other seafood presented in creative ways.
This item reminded us of a lobster dumpling at Summer Pavilion, Singapore.
This is a French fine dining restaurant where we were encouraged to use our hands. The clams were juicy and succulent. A finger bowl was provided.
Fish and shellfish.
Oyster and the tiniest wanton in the world, brought the savoury part of lunch to a close.
Lunch at Le Clarence Paris – Dessert
The last part of our lunch was more orthodox. Although present in three instalments, the ice cream, choux pastry and chocolate item brought us back to familiar dining territory.
Petite Fours rounded up our lunch at La Clarence restaurant to an end.
The Wine Shop and Cellar
Before leaving the beautiful building we checked out the wine shop downstairs. From here there is a window that looks into the Le Clarence’s wine cellar in the basement.
Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 4
Value: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs 
La Clarence Restaurant
31, Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt
75008 Paris
Tel +33 1 82 82 10 10
Open Wednesday through Saturday.
Annual Closures:
April 14th to April 23rd included
April 28th to May 1st included
May 5th to May 9th included
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