The restaurant

Brilliantly, he creates an instinctive, inspired and vibrantly modern style of cuisine. At Le Clarence, there is no settled menu, but rather a variety of dishes based on exceptional and seasonal products.

©Richard Haughton

Chef Christophe Pelé

Having worked in the kitchens of Ledoyen, the Bristol, Pierre Gagnaire or the Royal Monceau, the Chef caused quite a surprise in 2012 by closing his two-star Michelin restaurant, La Bigarrade, to set off to nurture his reflection and open up to other culinary cultures.  Constantly on the lookout for a new artisan of taste, he likes nothing more than finding a recent product that will come to fuel his inspiration, deepen his thoughts and supplement his technical knowledge.   

What best describes the Chef?  An insatiable curiosity, a profound respect for traditional basics, but also for producers, winegrowers, artisans, the expression of terroirs, cultures and seasons.  He has this precision, this attention to detail, this passion for his profession and a rare ability to share all of it with others.  Christophe Pelé has been awarded 2 stars by the Michelin Guide since 2017. In 2022, he was designated n°28 at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

 

Vibrantly modern cuisine

Christophe Pelé’s precise and instinctive cuisine asserts itself with modernity at Le Clarence: although traditional basics remain one of the Chef’s inspirations, he and his team create and put together every dish for each guest at Le Clarence, on the spot and even by intuition.  The cuisine here is vibrant and extraordinary.  Christophe Pelé brings this touch of innovation and spontaneity that makes Le Clarence’s cuisine inspired and deliciously appealing. 

The wines

In the cellar of Le Clarence restaurant, prestigious wines and those of extremely limited production stand happily side by side.  Although the wines of Domaine Clarence Dillon are presented fully, the wine list reveals all the abundance, history and diversity of the French winegrowing regions too.  On this list, winegrowers and terroirs are highlighted, just as much as artisans of taste and fresh produce are in the kitchen.  

Today, more than 250 winegrowers from all of France’s regions are represented through 1 400 references, in a selection supplemented regularly as our sommelier team makes new finds and encounters.  

A team filled with enthusiasm

Excellence and conviviality come together in the restaurant.  Service at Le Clarence,  knowing and discreet, does its utmost to make a meal a pure moment of pleasure, relaxation and even discovery. In the kitchen, a cosmopolitan team is driven by the will of highlighting extroardinary products throughout the seasons with dishes suffused of multiple influences.

Le Clarence, The Cookbook

In chef Christophe Pelé’s first book, Chihiro Masui breathes in aromas, caresses ingredients and dissects textures to a point where the reader can actually taste what she is describing.

Christophe Pelé’s recipe book contains some 70 recipes, around 20 of which take the form of a dialogue and exchange with the Chef. Chihiro guides the reader to accompany the Chef on the journey of inspiration that allowed each dish to be born and reach the table where the flavours can reach their apex. His creative narrated recipe chronicles, come to resemble travel logs.