Like many hotels in Paris, Westin Paris-Vendôme puts on its winter outfit to help us face the cold temperatures. This year, the famous Parisian palace hypnotizes you thanks to its wonderful Jardin d’Hiver.
With its bucolic and green decoration, its cozy outdoor wicker furniture, its lovely light ceiling lights, its bird cages then its plants and citrus bushes, this temporary restaurant does everything to make us feel at ease. Cuddled up in one of the armchairs, gazing upon the sumptuous outdoor fountain from the indoor, feeling oh-so well and at peace, we’re carried away for the evening.
And this happiness will continue when discovering the menu thought up by talented Chef David Réal. For Jardin d’Hiver, the chef came up with not less than 5 starters, 8 main courses – including 4 focused on seaside and 4 focused on inland – and 7 desserts.
Betting on love of good food and simplicity at the same time, Chef David Réal also makes a point of honor creating dishes based on seasonal products. For example, mushrooms, foie gras, red kuri squash and even butternut.
But let’s start with the starter. If the seasonal mushrooms soup with thyme or the lime-marinated scallops eye on me, I finally choose – following the wise advice of the waiter – a delicious and soft crumbed brown crab, avocado and pink grapefruit, the whole served with a mustard leaf frothy cream.
Crumbed brown crab, avocado and grapefruit
My partner in crime goes for the grilled octopus with white beans and Bellota Chorizo.
Grilled octopus
What’s next? Fish, meat… we still hesitate between two key main courses: the slow-roasted 100% Bellota pork chine with coco white beans and calamansi vinegar on one hand and the braised rabbit from Gatinais, purple mustard from Brive and endives with angostura on the other hand.
Slow-roasted 100% Bellota pork chine
Once again, love of good food and sophistication are the watchwords with dishes not only delicious but beautiful to look at. By the way, the chine is served in a pot and plated up by the waiter before our eyes!
Braised rabbit from Gatinais
If you’re more into fish, you should go for the roasted turbot fillet or the grilled wild salmon.
Finally, to end the tasting, we can’t help ourselves but ending on a sweet note with desserts by Florence Lesage. If fruit lovers will be over the moon thanks to the Pear Variations or the Apple served in multiple ways, sweet-toothed foodies like me will have their taste buds explode with the Rum baba revisited by Westin based on an exotic compote and a mango sorbet.
Westin rum baba
Finally, choco-addicts will have to try the excellent and unparalleled speculoos shortbread & Caribbean chocolate 66% with its speculoos ice cream. the crispy shortbread and the smooth chocolate perfectly go along and make this dessert a true heart favorite!
Speculoos shortbread & Caribbean chocolate 66%
But if you’re more into taking care of your shape this winter, discover the SuperFood menu dishes full of antioxidants and naturally low-calorie. On the menu? A noodle salad, prawns, orange and avocado, a steamed cod or grilled turkey with lemongrass.
I’m telling you, Westin Paris-Vendôme Jardin d’Hiver is indisputably the temporary restaurant to discover asap this winter in Paris. Be ready to live out a wonderful culinary journey by David Réal!
Practical information:
Jardin d’Hiver – temporary restaurant
From November 15, 2017 to April 30, 2018
Westin Paris-Vendôme
Menu of the day: €39 including suggestion of the day (fish or meat) + dessert of the day + glass of wine of the Sommelier
A la carte rates: starters from €16 to €26 / Mains from €25 to €36 / Desserts for €13
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
Dates and Opening Time
From November 9, 2017 to April 30, 2018
Location
The Westin Paris Hotel
3 rue de Castiglione
75001 Paris 1
