Photograph By Shin Shin

The master of the kitchen at Georges V’s  Le Cinq since June 2008 is Executive Chef Eric Briffard, who oversees the largest kitchen team in Europe: 115cooks, 7 apprentices, 15 sous-chefs and 13 sommeliers. Chef Briffard is the first to arrive and the last to leave the kitchen, where 17 to 18 hour days six days a week are common.

Chef Briffard’s haute cuisine has been drawing raves in Paris and throughout Europe – perhaps surprising the diner with  a bit of Asian influence when one least expects it, even for such traditional gastronomique delights as truffles and lobster. Or, who would expect sushi grade abalone prepared several ways from tartare to meuniere style? It’s a fun twist on traditional French cuisine.

Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel

George V’s Chef Briffard’s superb credentials include an apprenticeship with Joel Robuchon.  With a focus on the freshest and best regional ingredients,  Chef Briffard  is known as a perfectionist when it comes to food and its presentation. Nothing but the best will suffice.

 My grandmother. (My research shows that Eric’s grandfather used to bake the family bread and even produced their own nut oil).

Courtesy Four Seasons

Close your eyes and imagine getting on a plane to Paris this weekend. First dinner would be at George V’s Le Cinq restaurant.

Take a look at the summer a la carte menu below and decide what you might order!

MEAT AND POULTRY
	Rex Rabbit from The Poitou Region Cooked with Small Octopus/King Prawns from Palamos/Fresh Salicornia Served with BayaldiOf Vegetables/Muscadet Wine Gravy
	Veal Sweatbreads Browned with Verbena/Lemon/Capers Served with Braised Girolle Mushrooms/Fried Green Asparagus
	Shoulder Of Lamb from The Aveyron Region Stewed with Spices, Cooked and Raw Harissa Served with Artichokes/ Fennel/Eggplant
	Barbary Free-Range Duckling Excellence Miéral – Thinly-Sliced Roasted Breast/White Peach with Sechuan Pepper Served with RouennaisePie with Duck Foie Gras and Watercress Salad with Fresh Almonds
	Saddle and Chop Of Milk Fed Lamb from The Aveyron Served with Sweet Pepper Jelly, Fried Lamb Sweatbreads, Stewed Arcimboldo Tomato and Zucchini and Sour Goat Cheese
	Seasonal Green Salad with Truffled Vinaigrette
	Our Maîtres fromagersCheese Selection     Photograph courtesy of Shin Shin       Executive Chef Eric Briffard changes his menus seasonally, so be sure to check the George V website for his latest creations.

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Four Seasons Paris

An elegant dining experience awaits you at the Four Season’s George V’s formal restaurant,  Le Cinq.  Surrounded by palatial opulence, yet with the intimacy of dining in a private chateau, you’ll find exquisite attention paid to every detail: even the tablecloths, china and silverware are custom made.

Courtesy Four Seasons Paris

Look closely at the cameo found in  the center of each plate of white china.  The emblematic cameo is a reproduction of the cameo visible on top of each wall in the restaurant.

Don’t rush. You’ll find exquisite details throughout Le Cinq.

 If you appreciate  haute cuisine and faultless service, you will savor your evening here. Le Cinq deserves every one of its Michelin stars. The “macaroons,” or stars, represent the highest honor that can be bestowed on a restaurant, particularly in Europe, where it shows gastronomic excellence. An impressive feat!

Courtesy of Thuries Gastronomie Magazine

It’s always fun people watching, whether it’s the general comings and goings of guests, or the endless stream of celebrities dining at Le Cinq. If you had dined on election night, you would have seen French President Nicolas Sarkozy celebrating his election victory.

Many years back, you might have dined on lobster with chocolate sauce alongside Burt Lancaster, Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn or Charlie Chaplin. My how times have changed in dining tastes!

Courtesy of Thuries Gastronomie Magazine

One evening you might enjoy the tomatoes from Provence Collection 2010 as a millefeuille with crabmeat – carpaccio/fried/iced Liegeois/Panini or perhaps abalone from the Atlantic Coast with seaweed butter/creamy watercress soup/white cocao beans and ginger/lemon vinegar. These are the two appetizers I might order if I were lucky enough to hop on a plane to Paris this weekend.

Courtesy of Thuries Gastronomie Magazine

Still have room for desert? Perhaps a crispy chocolate and mint creation served with cocoa sorbet, white mint granita and Manjari chocolate might sound appealing, or possibly something simpler; does a seasonal peach milkshake hit the spot?

Try tables 1 and 19 along the wall for the best dining experience, or alternatively, settle into one of the comfortable sofas, which offer excellent views of the restaurant, courtyard and even the entrance leading to Avenue Georges V.   Be honest. Wouldn’t you love to book a table for next weekend? 

NOTE

Did you know that many years ago, management had the unique idea of offering its guests the  option of having their dinner conversations recorded  under the table. At the end of the evening, guests would not only pick up their coats, but a souvenir recording of their dining experience.

Guests would take pride in building libraries of conversations in their homes. No doubt today, they would be accused of eavesdropping. Imagine how times have changed!

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel George V

The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris sets a veritable stage for Jeff Leatham and his floral masterpieces.

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel George V

Jeffrey Leatham and the Four Seasons George V and its flowers have been bound together. Their story cannot be separated, even though Jeff  is now artistic director for the George V. By the way, in that capacity,  Jeff  oversaw the design for the interior of the  hotel’s Rolls Royce Phantom  limousine.

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel George V

“Art is a window into your soul, what you think

about, what you like, what you want to be. It

causes you to look at the world differently.”

Unknown Writer

These words, quoted  in Jeff’s book, “Flowers by Jeff Leatham,” certainly reflect the emotional impact of Jeff’s floral artistry on guests.

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel George V

Working with roughly 15,000 flowers every week, Jeff and his team of 7 assistants transform the hotel from season to season, palette to palette.

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel George V

At night, literally hundreds of candles are magically lit and scattered among vases throughout the hotel.

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel George V

Such imagination. Submerged purple orchids. Angled long stemmed roses. Hydrangeas preening for the guests. Every kind of flower in every imaginable design.

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel George V

If you can’t visit the Four Season’s Georges V,  scroll through Jeff’s book,  Flowers by Jeff Leatham, and be mesmerized by the exquisite photography and a few inside tips.

Hmmm. Did you ever try putting roses in sparkling water? Looks like sparkling diamonds to me! Every page inspires memories of our stay and will lure you to the Georges V.

 NOTE

Jeff’s monochromatic  style has become his signature. He has worked with countless celebrities, including Madonna, Oprah,  Cher and  Tina Turner, to name just a few. Jeff handled the floral design for Eva Longoria and Tony Parker’s lavish wedding in 2007 and recently oversaw a reputed $250,000 budget for Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. Mum’s the word from Jeff, though. My information  came strictly from outside sources!

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Four Seasons Paris

Tell the truth. Wouldn’t you love to take a stroll through a 5 star hotel like the George V?  Now is your chance. Watch the Four Seasons Video Tour below.

By the way, if you enjoyed this video, you will love the coffee table book, “A Parisian Legend”, by the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, which describes both the history of the George V and the spectacular 1999 renovation.

The inside cover of the book has photos and lists of famous guests as diverse as General Patton, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan, Marlene Dietrich, Tina Turner, John Wayne, Ray Charles, Jack Nicolson, The Rolling Stones, Sydney Poitier, the Beatles, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Celine Dion and Madonna,  to name but a few. 

NOTE

One story that I found particularly interesting was from many years ago, when the Maharahah of Kapurthala, traveling from his Indian kingdom, had what some might call whimsical requests – all of which were accommodated by the George V. 


He wanted the corridors leading to his suite decorated with fresh carnations every day and insisted that his dogs only drink Evian water. The Maharajah claimed to be the reincarnation of Louis XIV and insisted on his courtiers wearing wigs and drinking red wine. Ah, the stories these walls could tell!

– The Gourmet Review