Chef Yannick Alléno Expands His Michelin Three-Star Restaurant

Chef Yannick Alléno and designer Chahan Minassian. Photo: Courtesy of Pavyllon

It’s always wonderful to dine beneath the stars, especially when it’s at Pavyllon, the new restaurant by Yannick Alléno located directly below his Michelin three-star namesake at the Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris. Set up as counter seats encircling the kitchen, Pavyllon puts the brigade in the spotlight, revealing the deft hand it takes to create dishes like a steamed Comté soufflé and scallops quenelle. All of the dishes represent the Alléno’s signature to reinterpret the heritage of French cuisine for a contemporary audience using modern techniques, including cold extraction, fermentation, and maturation. 

When it came to the design, the chef’s goal was to create a holiday resort on the Champs-Elysées, playing up its expansive terrace featuring exceptional views of the legendary gardens. The 50-foot bar adds to the space’s convivial nature, inviting guests to witness up close the culinary fireworks. Every detail of the kitchen was designed to help the chefs put on a show.

The bar at Pavyllon was designed to help the chefs put on a show. Photo: Sebastien Veronese

These front row seats allow you to see the lightness of the vegetable tempura and taste small portions of refined dishes like cold sole served inside a black truffle, pumpkin tortilla, and iced coffee parfait. Two tasting menus allow you to sample as many of the inventive creations as you’re game for.

Tarte friande, a smoked fish tartare and wild herb salad. Photo: Courtesy of Pavyllon

Conceived by interior designer Chahan Minassian, praised for his recent revamp of the Hôtel de Crillon, the space gleams with a patinated-bronze wooden counter and a mosaic of enameled tiles and smoked mirrors. Minassian found the perfect creative collaborator in Alléno. “Our approach is the same, his is on the plate, mine is with space,” explains Minassian. “We complement each other naturally for this project—we worked hand-in-hand.” Knowing comfort is just as importance as beauty in gastronomic temples such as this, Minassian upholstered seats in the softest velvets and suedes all in a palette of grays and greens to complement the nature outside.

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For the custom tableware, Jaune de Chrome created glazed porcelain plates, Mepra provided the stainless steel cutlery with a matte champagne finish, and artisan Sarah-Linda Forrer designed the table decorations. Everything down to the mother-of-pearl bowls for the tempura sauce has been perfectly conceived and reflects the beauty of the neighboring Champs-Élysées gardens.

The bar at Pavyllon features patinated-bronze wooden counter and a mosaic of enameled tiles and smoked mirrors. Photo: Sebastien Veronese

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2020 Spring issue in the section The Artful Life. Subscribe to the magazine.