FRANCE – PARIS

A gastronomic address, located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, where every element has been carefully considered and refined to offer each
participating in a sensory experience blending art, design, and character. Here, you're not simply offered a tasting of dishes.
perfectly executed: we also invite you to discover the entire universe of the ambitious and audacious chef, Maxime Bouttier.
First, the choice of name, Géosmine, evokes the power of what is unseen. A beautiful metaphor for the actual definition: a chemical compound that gives its scent to freshly plowed or wet earth after a dry period. Second, the space itself, somewhere between a townhouse and a gallery, which, spread over two levels, offers different atmospheres. On the ground floor, a raw and minimalist ambiance is created, among other things, by the large concrete bar conceived by the chef and designed by Sonia Lafage, and by the stone walls and brick ceiling. Wooden tables and magnificent solid walnut chairs add authenticity to the space. Upstairs, an open kitchen, also designed by the chef, opens onto the second, more intimate dining room, ideal for group lunches or dinners. Finally, it's worth noting the wine cellar, which includes...
over 1,400 items, partially glazed, which brings a real personality to the address.

We began our eight-course tasting menu, accompanied by a bottle of Arbois red wine (Le Bastard), with a first amuse-bouche: smoked eel tartlet with lemon sabayon, buckwheat puff pastry, and Espelette pepper – very original, crispy, and bursting with flavor. Also included were pork rillettes in cromesquis form, with a touch of black garlic, a dish full of character. The black garlic is prepared here like mayonnaise; I finished it with a teaspoon, so complete was the indulgence. Next came the first course, listed under the heading of "appetizers": pigeon leg, aioli, and whitefish roe – original and delicious. The meat was crispy on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside, served with two homemade butters: lemon,
Espelette pepper for the first and forest pepper for the second. Interesting combinations.

Then, the two starters. The first: pointed cabbage, cucumber, herb mayonnaise, and gherkin juice. A very pretty presentation that reveals different textures, a perfectly balanced interplay of freshness, acidity, and the roundness brought by the herb mayonnaise. Each condiment adds a burst of energy to the plates, giving them plenty of depth and character. The second: mussels marinière, olive, cosmos. An intriguing description. The mussels (from Mont-Saint-Michel) are first cooked in a fennel broth, then seared a second time to give the dish a smoky, charred quality. Accompanied by a dazzling sauce—curry, Vin Jaune, and olive oil.
Vanilla – simply divine.

We continued with the main course: line-caught red mullet, Paimpol beans, shellfish, porcini mushrooms and a jus made from their heads, a slightly twisted "bonne-femme" sauce, once again surprising and perfectly executed—a fabulous surf-and-turf combination. We finished our tasting menu with dessert: chocolate, vanilla, fleur de sel, and praline, combining different textures and flavors—ultra-indulgent. We are dealing with a young chef who dares, without compromise, to create a cuisine that blends audacity and temperament. A restaurant to try immediately before the Michelin stars drive up the prices.

GEOSMINE
71, RUE DE LA FOLIE-MÉRICOURT, PARIS 11TH
GEOSMINE.COM
GEOSMINE RESTAURANT
© Maxime Bouttier