When we travel — especially on these long weekends — we always carve out space for a special evening. One meal that brings everything together: dressing up, drinking something good, eating well, and doing it all somewhere beautiful.
This is a restaurant review — a first-hand reflection on our evening at Le Cinq that ticked all the boxes.
While we don’t usually seek out Michelin stars for their own sake, Le Cinq felt different. It promised not just precision on the plate but a sense of occasion — of grace, of ease, of something lasting. Still, with three stars to its name and the weight of a grand reputation, we approached it with a note of caution. Would it feel too formal? Too staged? Too much?
We needn’t have worried. What followed was a of the most elegant, thoughtful and beautifully balanced dinners we’ve enjoyed in quite some time.
First Impressions of Le Cinq
We arrived on a wet Parisian evening, the kind of soft, silvery rain that clings to your coat and blurs the edges of the streetlights.
Two doormen greeted us at the kerb — each with an umbrella — and with that quiet choreography reserved for the very best hotels, we were ushered, dry and composed, from car to reception. For a moment, it made the Sofitel Le Faubourg — where we were staying — feel like a charming but distant cousin.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted entirely. From grey drizzle to golden warmth. The lobby was filled with towering arrangements of coral and pink peonies, their colour uncannily mirroring the floral bursts of my wife’s Erdem coat. The air itself was scented — subtly, elegantly — with the kind of fragrance that lingers in memory far beyond the visit.
Naturally, we stopped to take a photo or two. No-one minded. In fact, the staff seemed quietly pleased we were taking the time to enjoy it.
A few steps across the marble floor and we were at the bar, where a discreet introduction led us effortlessly through coat check and into the dining room.
The Room
Le Cinq is a space designed to impress — not in a showy, self-conscious way, but with grace and generosity. High ceilings, soft chandeliers, windows dressed in gold-toned light. And importantly: space. Each table a small island, comfortably apart. Unlike our dinner at Maison de la Truffe, where elbows and conversation felt shared by default, here we could breathe. We could relax.
Now, we do like to take photos — not out of vanity, but to remember and relive. We’re always conscious not to disturb the moment for others. Some restaurants frown upon it entirely — the Ritz in London, for example, has a firm no-photo rule in the dining room, which we understand, though it’s a shame. At Le Cinq, there was no such issue. “Take as many as you like,” they said with a smile. And so we did.
À la Carte, with a Twist
We decided against the tasting menu. Beautiful as it may have been, there are moments when a multi-course experience — however refined — can begin to feel like endurance. Sometimes you just want to enjoy a dinner, not submit to a.
The à la carte offered exactly that. An uncluttered selection, perfectly pitched. Starters ranged from saffron gnocchi and truffled green asparagus to a dish intriguingly described as “foie gras like a pebble,” alongside Parisian-style gratinated onions and warm Dublin Bay prawns with buckwheat pancakes. Mains were split between sea and land — blue lobster medallions with asparagus, line-caught sea bass dressed in nostalgic buttermilk, turbot paired with Japanese pear, and smoked salmon with spring vegetables. For the carnivores: pigeon, veal sweetbreads, Aveyron lamb, spaghetti gratin with black truffle, and the inevitable Wagyu.
We’d already had our fill of white asparagus — a perfect dish earlier that week at Le Train Bleu — and we’d indulged in truffles aplenty at Maison de la Truffe. So this time, we chose differently. For starters, I ordered the foie gras — not something I usually go for, but at a three-star table, it felt appropriate to stretch a little. My wife chose the gratinated onion soup, a classic, reimagined with all the finesse you’d expect from Le Cinq.
For the main course, we were in agreement: the lobster. Both of us had chosen it, and rightly so — the dish was sublime. Sweet, tender medallions paired with spring asparagus and served in a way that made time pause a little.
Drinks and Detail
Before the food, of course, there were drinks — and the first to arrive at the table was the grand champagne trolley. A sight that never fails to delight. There’s something deeply reassuring about its slow, gliding approach, the gleam of bottles nestled in ice, the polished tongs ready to lift a coupe with ceremony.
We both chose a glass of Bulle de Rosé from Savart — a grower champagne that struck just the right balance between elegance and energy. Pale in colour, fine of bead, and gently mineral, it was the perfect way to mark the beginning of the evening.
For the main course, we selected a bottle of Montagny 1er Cru — Les Vignes Longues from Domaine Cottenceau. A refined white Burgundy with just enough structure to hold its own against the lobster, and a softness that played well with the richness of the sauces. Served with quiet precision, it carried us through the heart of the meal with ease.
The Generosity of the Kitchen
We hadn’t planned on a multi-course spectacle — quite the opposite. That’s why we chose the à la carte. But the team at Le Cinq clearly had other ideas. Before we’d even begun, the evening had already unfolded into something more generous, more expansive.
The bread arrived first — three different kinds, each with its own texture and flavour. I tried them all, of course. Then came the amuse-bouches: a delicate parmesan waffle, light and airy, followed by a trio of intricate little bites. One, a small translucent sphere, burst on the tongue with a vivid rush of gin — a playful, unexpected note that set the tone perfectly.
Starters followed with quiet theatre. My foie gras, styled ‘like a pebble’, was exquisite in both form and flavour — rich, silky, and beautifully composed. Across the table, the gratinated onions were soft and deeply savoury, with the sweetness of slow-cooked onion and none of the bite. Refined, comforting, and beautifully plated.
Then came the lobster. Both of us had chosen it, and rightly so — the dish was sublime. Sweet, tender medallions paired with spring asparagus and served in a way that made time pause a little. From here, I must admit, the evening blurs. The wine, the setting, the joy of it all. There were more delicacies — at least a further small course before dessert — and a thoughtful gesture from the team: a candle, marking a special celebration of ours, arrived at just the right moment.
A Thoughtful Farewell
Dessert itself was, as expected, faultless — a final flourish without excess.
We finished with peppermint tea and a plate of petits fours, as beautifully presented as everything before.
But it was the atmosphere that lingered. We felt genuinely welcomed — not as patrons, but as guests.
Before we left, the team presented us with a photograph they’d taken during the meal — a quiet souvenir of the evening — and a small bag to take away, including a of the chef’s signature brioche-style buns. We couldn’t eat another bite by then, but we carried it back with us, knowing full well it would make the next morning all the sweeter.
A Memorable Experience
This was never going to be a cheap meal — and nor should it be. But at just over a thousand euros, it offered more value than we expected. Not just in the number of courses (three on paper, closer to seven in practice), but in the grace of the service, the beauty of the setting, and the feeling that we’d been part of something special.
It wasn’t simply a dinner — it was an experience. One that gave us not just a memorable evening, but something to return to in conversation, in thought, in photographs. We’d do it again in a heartbeat. We may need to save a little first, but we’d do it again all the same.
Because sometimes the most extraordinary evenings aren’t just about what’s on the plate — they’re about how they made you feel.
📍 Le Cinq, Four Seasons Hotel George V
31 Avenue George V, 75008 Paris, France
