It almost feels somewhat silly to review a newly-adorned Michelin star restaurant with a yelp…read morereview, but hey, here we go!
With a restaurant of this caliber, there are so many different aspects of the meal to consider: the ambiance of the restaurant, the quality of the service, the quality of the food, the *artistry* of the food, and so on. First off, the service. Absolutely first class service from everyone involved, from the moment you step inside and they take their coat to the moment you leave. Everyone is incredibly pleasant and professional. Damien and Victor, the room manager and sommelier, are working non-stop to provide a fantastic evening, and Victor especially is incredibly knowledgeable in his craft. And the wait staff themselves are especially pleasant.
The restaurant ambiance itself is interesting. Again, the entire place can be viewed as a canvas, ready for fresh art. I read some other reviews who disliked it, and that's fine, but it might also be missing the point. The food in this restaurant is art, and the purity of the decor, the quietness, the white everywhere, it's like a fresh pallet to an artist. I will say, i do agree with how...stuffy is not the right word, but it definitely took some time for the other patrons to loosen up a bit. Once the (top quality) alcohol started flowing, everyone started to loosen up and the place livened up, but the first 30-60 minutes felt almost awkward. It *is* very quiet, with carpeted floors and soundproofing, so when it's empty, it *feels* empty, but when the place is full, it's not at all loud. That can be unsettling for certain, but nothing a little (or a lot) of wine won't fix.
Now for the food. This is art as much as it is food. The menus are blind, meaning you won't see a menu, and each has a selectable number of courses with an optional wine pairing. The courses also include an aperitif and digestif. Even the smallest details explode with flavor, it really is incredibly impressive, and the artistry with how the food is presented is fantastic. Because the menus are not printed, you may end up with some food that is not to your liking, and I personally am not a huge fan of that. Don't get me wrong, i ate...savored everything, but in my opinion, for such an experience, it would be a shame to reduce any of it with food not to your liking. Many other restaurants that offer non-blind menus may be more to your liking if you do not like the idea of not knowing what's coming. That all being said, the things they did with the food were absolutely fantastic! The bread and accoutrements were absolutely incredible, the food exploded with flavor, and the sauces were tremendous. The first dessert, strawberry, had such intense strawberry flavor, and the second dessert, which featured a specially prepared egg white, was as delicious as it was creative. The wine pairings were all tremendous, perfect pairs, and even the final course, which featured a custom mixed drink that was absolutely fantastic.
For me, the only downsides were the number of cold dishes and the initial stuffiness of the dining room at the start of dinner. I personally, would've preferred to have more focus on warm dishes, but that being said, the food was still delicious. And, the dining room got more lively as the night went on, so both were not big issues. But, for a restaurant of this caliber, even the small things get dinged. I know this place has previously had a star and did not renew, but it's back as of 2025, so clearly they are doing what they need to be doing. If you're in Reims, this could be a fun experience, and it most definitely will be an artistic experience.
