After seeing a variation on the above dish on a food forum, Relais d’Auteuil was immediately added to the Paris lunch itinerary. Michelin has rated it 2 stars – worth a trip – and a trip it was. Relais d’Auteuil is located on the remote edges of the 16th – the cab ride took long enough (from within the 16th) that one might think they were driving to the opposite corner of the city. The restaurant itself is small and intimate with a slightly austere modern feel about it. There are charming and whimsical touches to soften the atmosphere, like the chicken at the end of this post.

1. Scallops & Black Truffles

Very aromatic (how could it not be?), the truffles were of higher quality. They didn’t reach the heights of the previous night’s dinner @ Les Ambassadeurs (post coming soon) but good quality. Very sweet scallops that yielded to the earthy truffles and later tempered by a sweet vanilla taste. Very Good.

2. Scallop / Black Truffle Ravioli

A similar theme but the chef loved his spices – the black pepper was too much and killed a lot of the taste. This could have been a very satisfying dish (re: tasty but not conceptually challenging) if the pepper top didn’t fall off in the kitchen. Ok.

3. Uni w/ Turnip, Corriander, & Lemongrass

Not my dish, I just had one, but the spices were completely overpowering. The uni may not have been the freshest but it’s impossible to know. The dish wasn’t finished, sent back, and they removed it from the bill without prompting. Not Good (but Good service.)

4. Mango / Passionfruit / Coconut Egg

We opted for no dessert (Laduree was next; again, post forthcoming) but this small egg was a nice finish. The flavors were bright and somewhat intense – a nice palette cleaner to send us off. Good.

And a chicken that endeared itself to me – every table had their own bright-glass-animal theme:

Overall, I don’t think I’d be rushing back unless it’s truffle season. The truffles were on the higher end for our trip at very reasonable prices – can’t beat that. If you happen to find yourself in this restaurant, some dishes with potential mentioned in other forums include their sole for 2 and a morel/foie gras dish. Is this a legitimate 2 star restaurant? Maybe if dish #1 is ordered but, based on our limited selection of dishes, it’s a mid to high 1 star, mostly due to the off-balance spicing.
- chuck