L’atelier du parc : the maître restaurateur of porte de Versailles

08/05/2018

Located near the parc des exposition of the 15th district, the restaurant is ideally situated on the boulevard. Here everything is homemade, the menu is creative and the interior plays with light.

I go for the 36€ menu with an entrée, dish and a dessert.

The pre-dinner nibbles arrive.

Gaspacho de tomates aux herbes et basilic et rillettes de saumon (tomato and herbs gaspacho with salmon rillettes) : normally I don't like the tomato soup but I was surprised because this gaspacho was perfectly seasoned and the taste was rich. The rillettes were quite classical and good with bread.

After a little wait the entrées arrive.

Entrée 1 daurade en tartare, mélisse et gelée de fruit de la passion au poivre de Timut, espuma d’avocat (tartar of sea beam, lemon balm, passion fruit and Timut pepper jelly) : visually very appetizing , the entrée is quite generous. The fish tartar is something I know but I was very pleased with the association between the passion fruit and the raw fish. The punch that normally comes from the lemon is from the passion fruit giving it a nice fruity taste. The espuma is creamy but it's a pity that we don't feel the avocado that much. The crunch comes from the sesame chips. Pity that the main ingredient, the sea beam is a little mushy a little too marinated.

Entrée 2 croustillant aux lentilles corail comme un fallafel, bun’s maison, aubergines, chèvre et sésame (crunchy coral lentils like a fallafel, homemade bun, eggplants, goat cheese and sesame) : behind this long name is a small vegetarian burger with goat cheese and red cabbage. It's good, there is nothing wrong but strangely very classical. The cheese is a little too heavy and doesn't go with the rest of the dish. We feel the spices in the fallafel, without knowing what it is we could tink it is meat.

After a second wait, here come the main dishes

Plat 1 filet de merlan en croûte de quinoa et pistaches, mousseline de poireaux estragon (whiting with a quinoa and pistacchio crust, leak mousse and tarragon) : visually it is very colorful but the taste is very disappointing. Nothing is bad but the fish is very heavy with it's crust. The cream is nice but doesn't bring anyhting great and the carrot chips are nice and crunchy but don't go well with the rest of the dish. The dish is served with a vinegar salad with carrots, cabbage, lettuce and penauts. And again, disappointment, event it looked fresh it wasn't, it was lukewarm and far from refreshing...

Plat 2 filet de veau confite aux épices, haricots tarbais, carottes et noisettes (veal caramelised in spices, Tarbais beans, carrots and hazelnuts) : the meat was perfectly cooked but didn't have a very strong taste. The mushroom cream soup was slightly too salty for my taste. The same problem with the side dish, the beans are way too salty. We ask to change them and when they come bac it's better. Generally it is quite heavy and there is no salad to help to digest.

Disappointed I can't wait for the desserts.

Dessert 1 cheesecake aux fruits exotiques, croustillant noix de coco, sorbet mangue-passion (exotic fruits cheescake, coco biscuit and mango-passion fruit sorbet) : very nice plating, a generous portion. The cream of the cheesecake is dense, gourmet and the biscuit thick. The sorbet is great, the mango perfect.

Dessert 2 choco-sésame, chantilly parfumée au grué et sorbet cacao (sesame chocolate, chocolate chips whipped cream and cacao sorbet) : the presentation is refined. The chocolate cake is good with the sesame taste that stands out in the end and a chocolate sorbet instead of ice cream is a good idea because it is lighter and refreshing.

Aside from the cold reception, the service is nice. I was quite torn. Yes, the dishes are creative with taste from here and elsewhere. Yes, the textures are varied and the ingredients are fresh. But the main dishes very disappointing. With this price and with high and lows, I am not ready to come back soon, I will find better elsewhere.