Neige d’Ete

Every once in a while, you come across a restaurant that just does everything right. The sort of restaurant that makes you feel like someone has thought about every little detail of the guest’s experience. Places like this are hard to come by, but a meal at Neige d’Ete in Paris provided an unforgettable dining experience.

Run by chef with an almost exclusively Japanese team, Neige d’Ete does not look like much from the outside. Indeed, there isn’t much by way of decoration in the dining room either. The open kitchen offers the perfect backdrop for the sober, minimalist dining room. The young and passionate team have put together an eclectic wine list, work with Zalto glasses and have a by the glass selection that is pretty impressive (Ulysse Collin, Domaine Labet, Vina Tondonia…).

Thankfully, the food here is so good that you will find it hard to not have a constant smile on your face when eating here. Take turbot with chorizo and green asparagus for instance. A piece of fish that is of the highest quality is cooked to perfection and served with a beautiful asparagus and a rich butter emulsion with chorizo. The dish doesn’t only look arrestingly beautiful, but the balance of flavours and intensity make this a true delight.

Even more complete, roast guinea fowl with morel risotto and jus is as close to perfection as a dish can possibly be. The meat could not be timed better, the risotto giving it a nice earthy base, whilst the jus is done just right. This is the best guinea fowl we have had. Period.

Neige d’Ete is a restaurant that we could not recommend more. Chef Nishi is cooking food that is beautifully balanced, composed and precise. He manages to produce dishes that are richly flavoured but not heavy. A second star over the firmament of this restaurant would certainly be more than deserved.