Paris Trip Report – May 2026: L’Orangerie, Origines, Maison Ruggieri, Prevelle, Plenitude, Zostera, Virtus
Many miles walked and far more calories later, another trip is in the books. This round skewed a bit more heavily towards fussier, longer format menus at the expense of more of the casual, reasonably priced neighborhood bistronomies that I so enjoy and will have to prioritize on my next visit. Stacking the proverbial deck becomes a dangerous game to play, not only with the wallet, but particularly when temperatures soar to unexpected, unseasonable and unrelenting record highs, not only challenging one’s typical appetite, but also one’s endurance for hitting at least 10 miles walked on a daily basis to make room for the next meal.
I don’t usually photograph dishes while eating, nor did I take many notes while dining this time around, but will try to work from memory and listed menus to offer up a comprehensive recap. I can certainly try to field specific questions anyone might have if prompted via a message. I’m also not much of a wine drinker, but can attest to my partner’s near uniform bliss at the wine selection at almost every spot listed below, albeit at fluctuating prices that weren’t always as agreeable as the selection itself. What was apparent and appreciated by me on this visit in the beverage department was the near ubiquitous presence of thoughtfully conceived non-alcoholic options; from teas to kombuchas to artisanal sodas and more, Paris is catching on to the growing trend of diners seeking alternatives to alcoholic beverages.
L’Orangerie: I was determined to return here after a spectacular meal two years ago, and fast tracked it upon hearing that chef Alan Taudon would be leaving for a new post at the Crillon in the weeks to come. The meal was as uniformly excellent this time around as the first. Taudon remains a master of technical brilliance, with star sauces that compliment exceptionally high quality product from the sea, proving his conceptions are worthy competition for the highest echelon restaurants in Paris. A new (at least to me) white asparagus dish built around a pear-vinaigrette mousseline, and poached turbot in a plankton broth with caviar were outstanding highlights on the savory side, working favorably alongside past favorites such as the baby squid in a watercress broth, and a massive, plump, red gambon, barely cooked, in a light, airy citrus sauce. Taudon’s applications remain consistently sharp, acidic, and packed with flavor. Desserts were stronger this time around than the first. An intricately woven play on strawberries and raw cream with elderflower and rhubarb was quite invigorating, paving the way for a sensational chocolate-armagnac soufflé tart that I’ll be reflecting on for quite some time. The pastry chef’s overall strength was also realized in the bread program throughout the meal here. While the setting of a restaurant of this ilk can often succumb and be beholden to the trappings of formality, the service team was once again warm, engaging, never overbearing, and right on the mark, replete with some of the same familiar front of house faces. The price point is quite high, but so too is the product on the plate. Value proposition can be found at any price point, and if I index this restaurant against many of the higher end fine dining restaurants here in NYC, I would still say that L’Orangerie outperforms and truly delivers for a wonderful experience. I look forward to returning to discover what their new chef conjures up, and will certainly be keeping tabs on Taudon’s new stint at the Crillon.
Origines: My second (and only other) repeat visit on this trip, Origines was humming along in great form, with an entirely new menu of seasonal offerings. This is soulful cooking, marrying adroitness with seasonality in a casual environment that is much to my liking. My partner and I opted to order a la carte and sample four savory dishes; langoustine two ways (grilled with a satay sauce, then seared in a carrot broth), morels stuffed with gnocchi, stewed in veal jus, in a decadent aged comte-wine sauce, followed by delicate, slow cooked brill topped with gremolata, accompanied by spring vegetables (green asparagus, peas, favas), and finally an outstanding grilled pigeon in a vinegar-pigeon jus reduction. Every dish was great across the board. We shared a sensational fresh strawberry dessert, composed with bits of almond cake, slivers of toasted coconut, avocado puree, and a coconut-basil ice cream. Unlike so many desserts in which unlikely ingredients wind up being superfluous, the avocado lent a lovely, smooth texture to a very balanced finished. This is a restaurant I will absolutely keep returning to, and wish was closer to home.
Maison Ruggieri: The affable chef Ruggieri was an immediate presence, engaging with all diners upon entry at his new, eponymous restaurant. His effusiveness translated over not only to the lovely, relaxed service team, but on the plate, where a series of really thoughtful, unique, and occasionally outstanding courses showcased his subtle infusion of essences and waters to create lighter sauces in deceptively minimalistic dishes. The progression began with a couple of delicious amuse-bouche that I’ll leave to you to discover. A cool, poached lobster with cucumber water, and gently cooked radicchio in a lychee accented jus were nice openers. Heavy hitters with incredible flavor profiles then emerged in the form of a terrific “udon” with orecchiette in a very light tomato water-butter-cheese sauce with a hit of vinegar, and an outstanding almond-buffalo milk panna cotta with slivers of white mushroom. These were two of the best discoveries during my week of dining. They were followed by a delicious seared squid, paired with barbequed red mullet in a stock reduction that hinted at mushroom or meat, and finally a very flavorful piece of barely seared jersey beef with a reduction steeped in black olives. A procession of desserts continued to highlight concentrated flavors, including a singular bite of fresh strawberry with meringue, tart yet warming stewed apricots with peanut ice cream, and the signature tagliolini suzette, with the delicate pasta standing in for crepes. This is a chef with a distinctive voice, imbuing an Italian sensibility with French techniques, often with a restraint that allows for strong, singular flavor profiles that really explode in the mouth. While the restaurant space at Palais Royal is certainly not my favorite, I was most appreciative for an experience featuring a very high level of execution without any unnecessary formality. The price point here is steep, but the meal was excellent, and I would consider a return.
Prevelle: Chef Romain Meder is the latest to emerge in Paris with a plant-forward inclination, giving deference in such a way that lets the ingredients shine. My three course lunch was comprised of an excellent, exceedingly fresh white asparagus starter, a seared piece of lean tuna (that would have benefitted from being rarer), outdone by the accompanying and extremely flavorful baked beets, and beet jus finish, and finally a lovely dessert composition built around strawberries and fir ice cream. The light lunch was a perfect way to not get bogged down by the exceedingly hot French weather. Prevelle’s 85 euro price point admittedly felt too high relative to what so many amazing Parisian restaurants are churning out for their lunch carte offerings, however, I would still consider trying the longer format menus in the future to see what other tricks this chef has up his sleeve for top quality vegetables. It helps that the service team here was friendly and approachable, the organic Normandy butter served with the bread course was remarkably flavorful and dynamic, and the non-alcoholic beverage offerings were strong.
Plenitude: Quite the conundrum here. The processional composition of a series of sauces that largely prop up proteins from the sea was consistently excellent, if anything stronger than I expected when considering some of the critiques I’d read since the restaurant’s inception. Chef Donckele reaches for and achieves culinary greatness many times over with his current menu, particularly the seasonal vegetable arrangement, lobster in two sauces, turbot with caviar, and chicken with morels. The caliber of what’s on the plate truly epitomizes 3 star cuisine. Unfortunately, as can be the case in some Michelin fine dining establishments, the service team - young, earnest, and exceedingly professional - was beholden to a canned, scripted approach that often felt uncomfortably obsequious, false, and wholly unnecessary for dishes that already did the heavy lifting. Strangely there were some pacing issues, with early courses served too rapidly, while the last legs of the meal dragged considerably. I believe this to be an effect of some of the service timing contrivances, including a trip by each table to the kitchen for one course, and to the cheese closet later on in the meal. It was also only towards the end of our meal that my dining partner and I were able to break the ice with our servers, at which point they loosened up a bit. Prior to that, they seemed very painfully on script, with an almost nervous, edgy energy. I should be clear that the servers did nothing wrong here, as I’m sure they were merely following their cues, but it really did lead to an experience that was incongruous with the meal itself. Should you go to Plenitude? I suppose that depends equally on your budgetary threshold, desired style of service experience, and whether or not those two variable considerations in this particular context are worth the exchange for brushes with brilliant sauces of luxury.
My exploration of restaurants invariably cannot always lead to wholly positive experiences, and this trip concluded on a bit of a down note. Zostera’s 55 euro 4 course lunch was a perfectly reasonable proposition, albeit with some moments better than others, and nothing ever reaching heights worthy of going out of your way to dine here. The service team was solid, but the space extremely tired, and in desperate need of a makeover that I understand is supposed to happen over the summer. It was a convenient stepping stone from the Louis Vutton Foundation to this restaurant, and if you’re in town, do yourself a favor and do not miss the exceptional Alexander Calder exhibit that is there now. However, I would point you afterwards in a more southerly direction to dine at Geoelia, where I had a far superior meal (than Zostera and some of the others on this trip) last fall. And finally, I will mention Virtus in only the briefest of notes to say there are those restaurants that make one question the collective wisdom and opinions of Michelin, Gault & Millau, and online reviewers at large. Save for two respectable courses, Virtus was a wholly uninspiring and unconvincing affair, at times downright clumsy, and I’m rather surprised by all the accolades. With so many amazing options in Paris, I would not recommend a meal here.
