Paul Pairet opens Nonos and Comestibles within Hôtel de Crillon in Paris

Mandatory cap, big personality and cosmopolitan character, Paul Pairet is one of the great names of (non) French cuisine in the world. Non-French because although his training is French with lots of experience with Ducasse, his professional career has led him towards a gastronomic elsewhere, the result of experimentation that produces high-ranking pyrotechnics. What he stages in his main restaurant, the super-awarded Ultraviolet in Shanghai: a (secret) cult address is just 10 seats around a single table for an immersive experience that unfolds around menus inspired by different cuisines of the world and identified by letters or numbers. And a three-figure bill (one of the highest in the world according to a ranking dating back a few years). Not the only address of Pairet in Shanghai, where he also presides over the Mr & Mrs Bund brasserie, the Polux café and Charbon, definitely more accessible addresses than the ultra-exclusive Ultraviolet. Today, however, Pairet returns home, to begin a new act in his career, which complements (and not replaces) the one in the Far East.

What to eat at Nonos and Comestibles by Paul Pairet

The basic idea is to translate the concept of cooking with fire and grill into an ultra-luxury hotel, "Just uttering that little syllable brings joy to your heart, appetite and cheerfulness" comments Pairet. With the touch of the chef, and the allure of a large hotel for a menu tailored to the needs of the customers, free here to enjoy a meal created according to tastes, appetites and available time, without obligations or constraints.The proposal follows the idea, with great classics, tasty and immediate, reworked with class, from the typical Parisian bistro appetisers, to the more elaborate proposals, from prawn cocktail, escargot, French onion soup, leg of lamb, wiener schnitzel and steak au poivre, by way of grilled lobster, roast chicken, sole meunière, and all the corollary of the French classics. Dishes that Pairet defines as happy: French-inspired comfort food with the plus of the large grill to give depth and nuance to the proposals.

Comestible is instead a chic deli in which to stop from morning to late evening for a bite, choosing from the large pantry where - if the want want - clients can buy products for the home. Be it seafood, charcuterie, smoked fish, cheese, cakes or pastries. A democratic proposal that can turn into an extra-luxury experience depending on the choice. Offers start at 6 euros and then grow, with the idea of a city format.

by Antonella De Santis

Photos by Victor Bellot