Lodged within the arcades of the Palais-Royal, Le Grand Véfour has been a restaurant since the reign of Louis XV. Although the exact date of its opening as the Café de Chartres is not precisely known, it is more than 200 years old and is classified as a historical treasure. Its present name dates from 1812, when Jean Véfour, former chef to a member of the royal family, owned it. Since that time it bas attracted such notables as Napoléon, Danton, and a host of writers and artists, such as Victor Hugo, Colette, Malraux. We were seated at Jean Cocteau's table, without doubt the best, for it offers a sweeping view of both the dining room and the gardens of the Palais Royal.

We sampled for you…

First canvas - Grilled Eggplant
A very rustic name for grilled eggplant entirely covered with thin strips of red and yellow peppers and marinated anchovy fillets, served with a little chilled zucchini soup and accompanied by a finger of toasted grain bread topped with a bit of tomato and dried parmesan. In the centre, some dots of tomato compote with pancetta… Divine! Can I order a larger serving? An ultra-fresh creation celebrating spring vegetables.

 

Second canvas - Turbot
What a specimen! The turbot is so lovely and thick that it must have weighed several kilograms. Christian David, head maitre d' at Le Grand Véfour, tells us it comes in straight from Brittany.

Every product on the menu has a background of "human" history, since Guy Martin forges very close relationships with his suppliers, from the artisanal mountain cheese makers and the organic vegetable producers to the butcher who provides Limousine beef. When it comes to fish and shellfish, he's not content just to look in at auctions to find the best arrivals. When time allows, he likes to head out to fishing country in order to gain a better understanding of the fishermen's work, following each step of the process from the raw product to the finished creation.

 

The turbot has been just seared and is exceptional. It is accompanied by a jus containing lemon preserved in brine, yellow pepper, and three large bonbons made from squid-ink pasta flavoured with ras-el-hanout, a spice mixture traditionally used to season couscous. The pasta spheres are filled with red pepper, shrimps, and diced pomelo. A side plate offers some little nods to the main dish: a preserved lemon, a little bard of fried turbot and some finely diced zucchini.

Third Canvas - Cheeses
The selection is generous: at least thirty cheeses in low season, including several beautiful varieties from the Savoy, alpine-pasture cheeses from artisanal producers ripened to perfection by the restaurant's master fromager. Guy Martin has even managed to save a few regional specialties that were in danger of disappearing. On the Route des Grandes Alpes, you will taste Reblochon, Beaufort or even Abondance, cheeses of great renown made in the Aravis, Beaufortin, Vanoise and Chablais regions from Tarine or Abondance cow's milk. But there are others - some "private" specialties, you could say - that round out the palette of flavours: chevrotin from the Aravis, Tomme de l'Ubaye, Bleu de Queyras. If you go to Le Grand Véfour in winter, you'll have the chance to discover Bleu de Termignon, a naturally blue-veined cheese of extreme richness with floral overtones.

Fourth Canvas - Dessert
Well now, hats off! While other chefs are focusing on temptations to begin the meal, Guy Martin delights us with treats large and small to end the meal: spiced peaches, violet strawberries, fruit tartlets, dark chocolate tartlets, pistachio macaroons, cocoa grué tuiles, filled chocolates, truffles… We ordered a signature dessert.

 

Artichoke Tart
This tart has a long history, taking its inspiration from the era of the Duchy of Savoy. Hailing from the Savoy and passionate about his region, Guy Martin immersed himself wholeheartedly in the cooking of Maître Chiquart, cook to Amédée VIII (1383-1451), the 19th Count and 1st Duke of Savoy, for whom he wrote a famous cookbook, one chapter of which is devoted to candied vegetables. Obviously, in those days before electricity and refrigeration, other methods of preservation had to found. Honey was used because sugar did not yet exist, and then these vegetables were transformed into tarts during the winter. Such are the antecedents of this recipe.

Sautéed artichoke hearts are set in a caramelized crème brûlée atop a meltingly light biscuit crust, accompanied by little preserved vegetables - fennel and celery - and an almond milk sorbet. The dessert requires long preliminary work to arrive at its end, one of surprising harmony.

And as if Guy Martin wished to keep us there a little longer, we were favoured with a slice of Gâteau de Savoie, refined and airy, a wink at the proverbial hospitality of this little culinary kingdom.

A meal? No. Rather an unforgettable experience for anyone wanting to recapture the grand age of a great restaurant, but with the modernity of a subtle and flavourful cuisine, graced with little notes and enticements that carry us beyond, like an invitation to travel.