This two-Michelin-starred restaurant, located just steps from the Champs-Élysées, is entering a new era on its tenth anniversary. And with good reason: young Andrea Capasso, who started as a commis chef, is now taking the helm in the kitchen. A new era, then, but also a completely new approach to gastronomy. Acumen tells you.

Upon entering the walls of this building at 31 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, one is immediately struck by the classic ambiance. It is, after all, a 19th ^- century private mansion, redesigned and restored by its owner, Prince Robert of Luxembourg. We are told that each piece displayed at the Clarence has been carefully selected by His Royal Highness. Here, one finds a multitude of crystal chandeliers, period paintings, and tableware from the Nymphenburg factory.

What about its contents? Between the opulent woodwork and the refined finger bowl, a nod to the rituals of haute cuisine, we are told of a concept based on surprise, where each course offers several pairings following an irregular tempo. There's no question of being early or late in the service, but simply the vision of the new chef, Andrea Capasso, who wants to set his own pace. A vision that is also more in tune with our times, as the maestro explains: "Today, customers sometimes have less time for lunch, and their desires change more often. I therefore wanted to evolve the Clarence's offering by creating an à la carte menu for lunch, in addition to the tasting menus. This menu allows us to adapt to all paces and tastes, while remaining true to the identity and high standards of the Clarence. This menu allows for a one-hour or one-and-a-half-hour lunch with a starter, main course, and dessert . "

A lighter offering, then, blending Italian and French influences. To start, there's Italian bread with Colonnata lard, a lightly garlicky cream, and a Comté cheese gougère. Asia is also represented with smoked mackerel, grilled over binchotan—a Japanese charcoal—with kiwi and nori seaweed. A triumph. This is accompanied by a surprising apple juice with a lightly poached clam, to be enjoyed after our amuse-bouche. This preparation will also pair beautifully with the red mullet, cooked barbecue-style (grilled on the skin, pink in the center) and served with a beetroot medley, enhanced with hibiscus flower powder and sea urchin from Brittany. By combining two dishes from different stages or times, the chef aims to "bring rhythm and energy to the experience, while maintaining high standards." As he points out, "We operate in a very classic, almost solemn setting, and this service was conceived as if it were lunch at a friend's house. It's a way to relax the atmosphere, create movement, and evoke emotion." An emotion that continues with this quail Rossini-style, enhanced by pressed celery with nori seaweed, parsnip chips, and a reduced quail jus.

But the chef doesn't intend to be disruptive: " My cuisine may appear modern in its expression, but it always rests on very classic foundations, echoing the spirit of the Clarence. For me, everything begins with the gesture. Repeated, refined, perfected, it becomes a silent signature. It is this that inspires confidence and freedom, and that allows taste to reach its purest expression . "

the Clarence 
31, avenue Franklin-D.-Roosevelt, Paris 8^e

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