With the verdict just in on season 16 of Top Chef, we sit down with the first couple to have completed the competition, Philippine Jaillet and Charles Neyers. The two talented chefs at the helm of Le Boréal are delighting local residents with a delicate, gourmet multi-course menu. After several weeks of salivating in front of the TV, it was time to taste the cuisine of the two accomplices.
Sublime land and sea at Le Boréal
Known for their brilliant run on the 16th season of Top Chef, Philippine and Charles operate daily behind the stoves of Le Boréal. At the crossroads of Rue du Pôle Nord and Rue Montcalm, the pair have set up shop in a pleasant, convivial space, both indoors and on the terrace. Lively in summer and cosy in winter, the Art Deco restaurant, with its brass counter and Thonet chairs, welcomes us for a colorful dinner.
Orchestrated in 5 to 7 seasonal rhythms, vegetarian or land-sea versions, the menu is a veritable invitation to travel, surprising us at every turn with its textures, tastes and associations. While the menu changes each week, the spirit remains the same on the plate. After a trio of seafood creations and a monochrome vegetable ragù, comes a superb marine plate served in a spider crab head, followed by a farm rabbit with socarrat. Once you’ve tasted a fir tree sorbet, it’s time for the coup de coeur, an incredible crème brûlée accompanied by a bewildering trio of Jura cheese ice creams. This culinary trip ends on a sweet note with an excellent herbed vacherin, and so ends this stopover at Le Boréal.
The house also boasts a fine wine list, with many French references and an emphasis on natural wines. So don’t hesitate to try out the suggested pairings to complete the experience! So if you’re a fan of Top Chef, looking for a good restaurant north of Paris, or both, Le Boréal ticks all the right boxes!
Le Boréal – 39, rue Montcalm, 75018