Clos des Sens

Laurent Petit is a pure bred chef. He possesses the talent of an artist and the will and ambition of a champion. He has conviction and trusts his feelings, which he expresses without restraint. All of this places us before one of the most conceptually advanced chefs in France. We are fully in tune with his philosophy, which conveys thoughts, qualities and consistently fresh sensations—ever original, always attractive. A qualitative leap forward has been taken by this restaurant with the unmistakable definition of a personal style – one without references – based on cubic constructions that are visually impacting and surprising to the palate. A mark where in a single illustration, you have sensational raw ingredients matched with avant-garde ideas and techniques, putting alchemy before delicacy. This is cerebral fantasy at its best. The gelatins, spheres, liquid nitrogen… all made compatible with allure and historical recognition for the palate. There are neither mental nor flavorful eccentricities here. Balance and meticulousness stand above all else in the work: there was not a single error made in our most recent experience which was comprised of four appetizers, six dishes and three desserts. The reception was immense. The giant sphere of petit pois à la française, with the volume of an egg yolk and an aftertaste of smoked bacon is the first flash that urges abetment. Then on to three beauties: a white poached onion ice cream, a golden Reblochon cone and a crispy translucent potato with inserted parsley leaf sprinkled with paprika. The cuisine follows along the same lines. The thin crust-less vegetable tart: bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini rectangles over an eggplant base, with garlic flowers, marjoram and rosemary, with additional herbs and tapenade represents the ecological purity of nature. The foie gras terrine with “fera” (a fish from lake Leman), apple and tannin juice is one of the best versions of this succulent liver you will ever taste. The articulation of the crab has everything – brilliance, beauty, exquisiteness and exuberance. The meats are presented with vegetables and herbs, served with a sorbet concentrated of its juices as well as a cube of gelatinized consommé: hot soup and madness, powder made from its shell with bread, all cubically designed. The sea urchins perfumed with garlic confit are perfect in their simplicity. The sea bass, incredibly juicy, rose colored, 44º C at the center and further magnified by the nitrogenized olive oil, is an ode to immaculateness and the future. And the four services of suckling lamb with blackberries is yet another demonstration of nobility, strength, genius, chromatic majesty… a definitive proposal of admirable professionalism. Laurent Petit: more solid and talented than ever.