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Guides for the Business Traveler
Paris (2009)
4 hours in Paris (2009)
Jeff Heilman cooks with a master chef, samples cutting-edge cocktails and is tantalized by the tasting menus of the youngest-ever World’s Best Sommelier
 | Le Pavillon Elysée Lenôtre What better way to experience Paris than to spend three hours cooking with an expert chef? Created in 1971 by famed chef Gaston Lenôtre, l'Ecole Lenôtre is an internationally-renowned gastronomy school. Acquired by the Accor Group in 1985, the company's restaurant and catering network has since expanded around the globe. The elegant Pavillon Elysée Lenôtre is one of two locations with a cooking school for amateurs. (The other is in Cannes.) Housed in an elegant century-old structure on the Champs-Élysées, the boutique includes a culinary school, Café Lenôtre restaurant and bar, a gourmet store and a reception venue.
Outfitted with aprons, chopping boards and knives, our hands-on experience took place around a long, central workstation. Via an interpreter, chef Jacky Legras kept us busy, prepping the ingredients for a three-course meal. There was much to learn—how to chop, sauté, season, blanch—as we helped him prepare tomato and basil tarts, veal medallions and creamy herb risotto, and apricot tiramisù. It all came out beautifully—and what a treat to then gather around a set table and have Legras himself serve us haute cuisine of our own (partial) making. Many a major corporation has brought teams here—it's a must for business travelers.
From €132 per adult; 10 avenue des Champs-Élysées; tel. 33-1-4265-8510; www.lenotre.fr |  | Il Vino d’Enrico Bernardo In 2004, at 27 years old, Milan-born Enrico Bernardo beat out 42 contenders in the international competition organized by the ASI (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale) to become the youngest-ever World's Best Sommelier. Following a post at Paris's incomparable Four Seasons Hotel George V—where he oversaw a prestigious cellar of over 60,000 bottles and 1,800 labels—he opened his first restaurant, the hip Il Vino d'Enrico Bernardo. There is no menu, simply a wine list—the chefs determine the food pairings. Even better is the blind tasting menu, with both wine and food at the kitchen's discretion.
Furthering the game, our wines were served in darkened glasses—the challenge was to guess the label by taste and smell. With the ceviche on watercress reduction, a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand; accompanying the red mullet with mushroom and saffron sauce, a buttery Domaine J.M. Boillot Meursault Chardonnay; and marrying the lamb with artichokes and potatoes, the exquisite Châteauneuf du Pape. It's a novel redefinition of the dining experience, and it works—he's already won one Michelin star.
13 boulevard de la Tour Maubourg; tel. 34-6-5636-5589; www.ilvinobyenricobernardo.com
|  | Le Bar at Hôtel Plaza Athénée Recessionary woes notwithstanding, one sure-fire way to feel super chic is to head to Le Bar at the legendary Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Seductive red lighting and an Arctic-blue bar, seemingly hewn from ice, set the stage for a bold menu of classic aperitifs and cutting-edge mixology. After warming up with a 1958 Armagnac, it was straight into bar manager Thierry Hernandez's drink creations—first, a Piña Colada in cracker form, activated in the mouth by spray bottle; then, that American college student classic, the Jell-O shot, served in little squares; the Cosmopolitan ice pop was a blast, as was the hyper-oxygenated water. Johnny Depp and Beyoncé are among the celebs drawn to this luxe oasis—the stardust is irresistible. Should your budget prevail, world-class chef Alain Ducasse supervises all of the hotel's dining venues, including his eponymous haute eatery.
Open daily from 6 p.m.–2 a.m.; 25 Avenue Montaigne; tel. 33-1-5367-6667; www.plaza-athenee-paris.com |  | L’Arpège For gourmands glutted on foie gras and steak tartare, chef Alain Passard's L'Arpège (named for music, his other passion) offers a vegetable-based (but not vegetarian) menu. Passard masterfully orchestrates the produce, delivered fresh from his garden south of Paris. The pigeon, duck and chicken casserole was a treat; the vegetable risotto with Parmesan cheese, out of sight; and the mocha caramel au lait, divine. The tasting menu is pricey (at €360), but worth it. Located near Les Invalides, in the 7th arrondissement, the restaurant can accommodate around 60 guests in the main room, while the 17th-century Parisian cellar is perfect for small business groups.
Monday–Friday, 12.30 p.m.–2.30 p.m. and 8 p.m.–10.30 p.m.; 84 rue de Varenne; tel. 33-1-4705-0906; www.alain-passard.com |
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