Pavillon Ledoyen by Chef Yannick Alléno wields three separate restaurants—Alléno Paris, L’Abysse, and PAVYLLON. It also features a hidden culinary experience unlike any other in Paris. Behind the prep tables of the kitchen is a room lined with effervescent champagne bottles, and through a two-way mirror a small group of guests can view the activities of the kitchen staff.
This “Inside” experience, produced in partnership with Moët & Chandon, is an unparalleled opportunity to indulge in a multicourse tasting menu of food and champagne. An ongoing experience, “Inside” is available by reservation—and only a few exist each month. Whitewaller spoke with Alléno about his esteemed craft and how he spends his time off in Paris.
Courtesy of Moët & Chandon.
WHITEWALLER: Tell us a bit about your “Inside” experience with Moët & Chandon.
YANNICK ALLÉNO: “Inside” is completely unique. It is not just another table located inside a chef’s kitchen, but a disruptive experience around exquisite gastronomy and refined champagnes from the Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection.
Courtesy of Moët & Chandon.
I imagined this gastronomy experience like a journey through a modern vision of French art de vivre and exquisite champagne savoir faire. Freedom and discovery are our keywords. At “Inside” there is no set menu. With my kitchen brigade, we create a new menu each time to fit the chosen champagnes and our inspirations of the moment.
This exclusive chef’s table is all about creativity, spontaneity, and enjoyment. With “Inside,” we want to offer a refined and innovative culinary journey to all the champagne connoisseurs and fine-dining lovers; a friendly place to meet and discover our shared philosophy and our vision of gastronomy and excellence.
Courtesy of Moët & Chandon.
WW: Alléno Paris has consistently been awarded three Michelin stars for quite some time. What do you feel earns that acclaim?
YA: It’s very important to be avant-gardist and innovative all the time. We must have a real culinary relevance and take risks. We constantly think about how to offer the best of the modern cuisine to our clients. My life goal is to make Pavillon Ledoyen the most Michelin-starred establishment in the world.
Courtesy of Moët & Chandon.
WW: What’s something on your menu now that might surprise guests?
YA: We have the thick turbot fish in two services. It’s a wood-fire-roasted fillet flavored with “cacio and tio pepe” pepper with gratined white skin and flesh gnocchi served with chanterelles. This dish is very special because we use all the products entirely, and there is no waste whatsoever. Our clients like it because this dish is a symbol of the modern cuisine.
WW: Where do you like to eat, drink, and see art in Paris?
YA: For art, I like all the Parisian galleries (Kamel Mennour gallery, for example) and all the museums. For a drink, I often go at the bar of the Hôtel de Crillon. With regard to food, I follow the new generation of chefs. It’s very hard for me to give you one
single address because Paris is a very lively city with a lot of restaurants and new places that are absolutely inspiring.
WW: How would you describe your relationship with the art world?
YA: My relationship with the art world is absolutely passionate.
