A Chef’s Guide To Champagne
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6 months ago
The best spots for a bite to eat amongst all the bubbles
It may be best known for a certain sparkling wine, but there’s an incredible food scene bubbling beneath the surface of Champagne, France. Wondering where to start? We tapped the brain of Paolo Boscaro, Executive Chef of Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa’s Le Royal gourmet restaurant for some of his favourite restaurants in Champagne.
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Paolo Boscaro
Paolo Boscaro has cooked at some of the finest restaurants in France. With a Norman mother and an Italian chef for a father, he was brought up on the French Riviera and fed up on divine cuisine. He trained the large Parisian houses, including with Jean-Louis Nomicos during the Lasserre era and with Guy Martin at the Grand Véfour, before taking the plunge and jetting off to Japan. Most recently, he settled in the heart of Cognac at Hotel Chais Monnet & Spa, but he has since moved to another storied region that lends its name to a prestigious drink: Champagne. Here, he filters the region’s terroir through his unique perspective, serving up the likes of marinated turnip flowers with a touch of Reims vinegar, gambero rosso on bed of champagne marinated white peaches, and his signature delicate gnocchi adorned with pecorino pepato and infused with saffron, celebrating his Italian heritage.
Best Restaurants In Champagne: Paolo Boscaro’s Pick
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La Braise, Reims
A charming neighborhood restaurant, La Braise offers a delicious menu. The dishes feature seasonal products, ensuring authentic, wide-ranging flavours. The meats, sublimated by braise cooking, offer a truly tasty experience. All in an intimate atmosphere and with a fantastic team.
1 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 51100 Reims, France, @labraisereims
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Sacré Bistro, Épernay
Fine bistro dishes and a wide choice of wines: the perfect combo for an evening out with friends in a convivial spot. On the menu, you’ll find revisited popular meat dishes. The burger is excellent, and that’s what the owners and friends of Sacré Burger, their second restaurant in Reims, are betting on: combining burger and champagne.
2 Pl. Auban Moët, 51200 Épernay, France, @sacrebristro
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Restaurant Le Parc** at Les Crayères, Reims
A gastronomic restaurant in a splendid location in the private gardens of Domaine des Crayères. I haven’t had the chance to go there yet, but I look forward to discovering the menu of chef Christophe Moret, a former chef of Alain Ducasse who recently arrived.
64 Bd Henry Vasnier, 51100 Reims, France, lescrayeres.com
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La Table des Chefs by Mumm, Reims
La Table des Chefs is a venue created by Champagne Mumm in Reims. Every three months, the House invites young chefs to create an exclusive menu to accompany their cuvées. It’s a very dynamic offer for the region, giving guests the chance to discover different culinary worlds, and it’s another way of tasting the House’s cuvées.
31 Rue du Champ de Mars, 51100 Reims, France, mumm.com
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Restaurant L ’Assiette Champenoise, Tinqueux
This three Michelin starred restaurant is an established address in the Champagne region with chef Arnaud Lallement. Finely seasoned, beautifully cooked, and adapted to the seasons’ best ingredients, their menu pays tribute to all the people behind the produce.
40 Av. Paul Vaillant-Couturier, 51430 Tinqueux, France, assiettechampenoise.com
Coq et Vins, Ville-Dommange
A great countryside restaurant with bistronomic cuisine and an excellent atmosphere. Serving a small selection of traditional French cuisine, each dish has earned its place on the menu.
3 Rue de la Prévoté, 51390 Ville-Dommange, France, @restaurantcoqetvins
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The Glue Pot, Reims
This bar is a Reims institution. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert in champagne, it’s the perfect sport, as they have a very varied menu featuring small, little-known winemakers and signature vintages from the major Houses.
49 Pl. Drouet d’Erlon, 51100 Reims, France, thegluepot.com
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Le Coq Rouge, Reims
A go-to place: the perfect wine bar with delicious tapas nearby Reims Cathedral, with a great wine and champagne list, plus a superb accompanying menu of small plates for a more casual dinner.
67 Rue Chanzy, 51100 Reims, France, @lecoqrouge.reims
Boulangerie Pauline, Reims
For the best bread in town cooked in a wood-fired oven. The boulangerie is run by a couple of bakers and pastry chef. The patisserie is also worth noting, serving everything from galettes to pavlovas and a wide variety of freshly made tartes.
80 Rue de Vesle, 51100 Reims, France
