When it rains, it pours. For years, when folks asked me for great places to enjoy seafood in Paris, I drew a blank. Paris, for all of its gastronomic benefits, didn’t strike me as the best place to enjoy seafood, given that it’s a land-locked city.
Of course, there were a few classics: sole meunière and oysters, to start. But having grown up between New York, Long Island, and San Francisco, there was no seafood address that led me to point and say, “There, you must go there!”
In the past few weeks, I’ve discovered not only Grive, an ingredient-driven natural wine bar with excellent seafood direct from Normandy, but also Antoine, a one-starred restaurant overlooking the Eiffel Tower from the ritzy 16th arrondissement with some of the most delicious seafood I’ve enjoyed in Paris.
Of course, Michelin-starred addresses are a different animal. Service is impeccable; Champagne is a must. And the prices are definitely a bit steeper than in many of the other places I visit on the regular.
That said, it’s no secret by now that enjoying lunch at a Michelin-starred establishment is often the very definition of “worth it.” While still expensive, Antoine’s prix fixe lunch is quite reasonable, especially given that it includes several small mises en bouche before the main meal even begins.
This anemone-like pretzel kept in line with the seafood theme.
These little puffs, meanwhile, were presented much like small eggs. All of these little bites were the perfect way to evoke what was in store for us (and, to be perfectly honest, were my favorite bites of the meal).
Which isn’t to say that the rest wasn’t delicious as well. The prix fixe on the day of our visit featured two choices each for appetizer, main, and dessert. In the first two categories, the choices were either marin or terroir – the upscale French version of “surf” or “turf.”
I went for the former, with the lime and bottarga fish carpaccio above.
The terroir choice was a dish of seasonal tomatoes and filtered fresh tomato juice with pickled chanterelles.
I stuck with marin for my main: a jumble of fresh mollusks and white fish cooked en papillotte with potatoes and artichokes. And I was pretty stoked by the presentation: a waiter appeared with scissors to cut my meal out of the bag in which it was cooked.
I’m easily amused. Also, it was delicious (if a teeny bit too salty for my taste).
The terroir option on the day of my visit was pressed lamb shoulder, which had a very intriguing avant garde look to it and was so tender my dining companions mostly ate it without using a knife at all.
Dessert-wise, the clear winner was this blackcurrent soufflé, served with a spoonful of blackcurrent gelée on the side.
If you’re looking for a special occasion lunch (or a very special occasion dinner), Antoine is definitely a good option. The only downside is that while some tables do indeed have a view of the Eiffel Tower, nearly all of them have a view of the highway running alongside the river Seine – not my favorite view, but the food makes it worth it.
Antoine – 10 Avenue de New York, 75116