I had read good things about Les Apothicaires. The chefs are Brazilian and French, and I guess one…read moreof the chefs was on Top Chef before.
The space is intimate, with cute shelves of books, jars of preserved foods, wine glasses. They also have 2 counter seats that look into the kitchen. The rest of the tables are intended for 2-4 people, though I suppose you could push together some of the tables for 2.
The glass wine list was small (about 2 sparkling, 3 whites, 3 reds, rose, beer). They had a more extensive list by the bottle.
They do an 8 course for €59 (including VAT and service), which is a hot deal. There's one menu per night, but they can work with dietary restrictions / food allergies if needed.
1. Curd of milk, autumn broth, smoked onion, black currants, lovage, leaves, quince: nice and light, with a focus on the fresh quince.
2. Gravalax with pollen and grated daikon with rice powder on top.
3. Roasted cabbage: caramelized cabbage with roasted wheat vinaigrette, grilled tofu skin, mung bean sprouts. Very flavorful for a vegetable dish.
4. Cocos de paimpol: white beans with fresh and fermented cepe, coffee powder, and cepe powder. Hearty and good for the fall.
5. Roasted monkfish, crumbled pumpernickel, tamarind hollandaise.
Or
Roast beef cap with 3 types of pickles, Brazilian bread crumb condiment. Of the main dishes, the beef was the winner for me.
Add on:
Cheese plate (€9) or 3 French cheese (a goat cheese, a brie, and a Beaufort).
Transition:
House black currant infusion (non alcoholic)
6. Kiwi, green olives, absinthe granita, citrus, herbs - who would have thought olives and kiwi would make a great combination? It was very refreshing
7. Chocolate ice cream, hazelnut biscuits, mushroom chips, mushrooms, and dark chocolate shavings. I didn't ever think mushrooms and chocolate would work together, but the earthiness of the mushrooms worked well with the mushrooms
8. To finish:
- Salted caramel biscuit with vinegar whipped cream
- Brazilian chocolate: like a chocolate caramel
Service was also very friendly and more than I expected for a less formal place (ex they folded the napkins when I went to the restroom).
After days of heavy eating, I really appreciated this more seasonal, vegetable focused menu. I especially appreciated the desserts - super creative combinations that worked - green olive + kiwi; chocolate + mushrooms.
