And that's two for Margaux Mercier and Clément Tricot! Just two years after opening their first address, La Daronne, the young, dynamic duo have opened Source, this time on the Left Bank. The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district is more than ever in the spotlight, with the inauguration of a number of new restaurants, and has been graced with one of the most exciting gastronomic addresses we've tried this year.
In the kitchen, chef Jules Recoquillon is in charge, assisted by Jules Bazin and Alexis Sorcier for sweet dishes. Having worked alongside Christian Le Squer at Apicius and Le Cinq, the young chef joined the team at La Daronne, where he took the reins of the kitchen, before helping to create Source, a new restaurant designed to satisfy his desire for haute gastronomy.
This team of young first-timers is joined by sommelier Agnès Kissoondoyal, who takes great pleasure in helping experienced and novice palates alike to discover, through food and wine pairings, the fifty or so fine wines in the natural, organic and biodynamic trend - masterclasses are organized in the basement, in the restaurant's cellar, to discover these skilful beverages from estates and winemakers who make it a point of honor to respect the environment.
The same care is, of course, taken with the fine produce that passes under the chef's knife, as he has chosen to source his fruit and vegetables locally and from small-boat fishermen on the French coast for seafood.
Once the team has been introduced, it's time to discover what Source has in store for us. There's no à la carte menu here, just a single menu, available for dinner in 5 courses (75€, 110€ with wine and food pairings) and 7 courses (95€, 145€ with wine and food pairings); and for lunch, on Thursday lunchtimes only, in 3 courses (55€, 80€ with wine and food pairings).
Anintimate, seafaring setting, draped in heavy, deep-blue curtains, Source invites you to relax and enjoy, with attentive service that's meticulous without being overbearing, and of course, the wonders on the plates. There's no doubt that chef Jules Recoquillon and his team know what they're doing, whether it's reviving a forgotten recipe (chartreuse; special mention for this delicious dish that we discovered for the occasion), showing great finesse with this hot-cold raviole, or plunging us into the flavors of winter with monkfish and its gingerbread croutons.
The cooking is just right, everything is carefully seasoned, the sauces, creams and other reductions are an unmistakable part of the decor and a source of comfort, and even the dessert, a sort of revisited lemon tart, doesn't fall into the same old category, as it's twisted with a different citrus fruit, the clementine. The rest in pictures!
Mushroom tuile, cream of mushroom soup and caviar
Croque revisité
Cream of cauliflower, roasted heads, cauliflower crumbs, dried duck breast, lemon condiment, Osciètre de Sologne caviar
Soy and citrus marinated carrot brunoise, smoked ricotta, blood orange and carrot juice reduction, gyoza dough
Pearl monkfish with binchotan, butternut purée, gingerbread croutons, squash granola, gingerbread vegetable jus
Chartreuse revisited
Guinea fowland foie gras, Melanosporum black truffle, reduced meat jus
Truffled Brie de meau, truffle cream, zaatar
Italian meringue, clementine cream, streusel cookie, clementine reduction, combawa
An exciting new table.
Location
Source
17 Rue Grégoire de Tours
75006 Paris 6
Official website
www.sourcerestaurant.fr
More information
Tuesday to Saturday evenings, 7pm to 11pm Thursday lunchtime, 12pm to 2pm
