Ambos, Cristina and Pierre Chomet's brilliant restaurant

In the category of new restaurants in Paris, there's one opening that's already making news:Ambos by Cristina and Pierre Chomet! Does his name or face ring a bell? For good reason, he took part in season 12 of Top Chef, where he distinguished himself by his infectious good humor and his beautiful dishes.

Ambos, which means "both" in Spanish, is the marriage of two talents. That of Pierre Chomet - who has worked at the 3-star Bristol, Arnaud Donckele's La Pinède and Joël Robuchon's Atelier (where he met Cristina) - and that of Cristina Tejeda Chomet, sous-chef at Buckingham Palace for Elizabeth II, before joining Joël Robuchon 's team in London and then the Savelberg in Bangkok.

In short, it's easy to see that the cuisine awaiting us is the result of travels and discoveries all over the world. With one foot firmly planted in French gastronomy," explains Pierre Chomet.

Just a stone's throw from the Jardin du Luxembourg, this new restaurant is located directly opposite the French Senate. As you enter, the restaurant reveals two parts: a large, bright room with bay windows, and another room at the back, separated by bricks and a beam, overlooking the open kitchen and counter where the chefs and brigade officiate.

Stone walls, contemporary furniture in light-colored woods, stylish industrial sconces - the ambiance is friendly and welcoming, just like its guests. The best idea is to treat yourself to a meal at the counter, so you can watch the chefs evolve and exchange ideas with you. And one thing is clear: Pierre Chomet is just as friendly on TV as he is in real life, where it's easy and relaxed to talk to everyone.

With Ambos, Cristina and Pierre Chomet aim to write their story, a story that represents the sum of both their experiences. From Spain to Thailand to Brittany, we're delighted by the marriage of all cultures.

We take a look at the menu, which is short and based on seasonal produce:

We begin our culinary journey with two starters:Ajepa, Cristina's childhood cornbread from Venezuela. It's made with chicken leg confit and pickled radishes dipped in a smoked avocado mousse. We love the melt-in-your-mouth avocado mousse that accompanies it. On the other hand, the galette-saucisse is the story of a Breton who comes to live in Thailand for a while. This classic buckwheat galette is paired with a Chang Mai-style sausage. With a base of lemongrass, combava, kefir lime leaf and a homemade sriracha sauce, it's full of flavors in a single bite for a real flight abroad that awakens our taste buds.

We then move on to the starters. Naturally, we opt for the Pad-Thai style shrimp tartare, which opened the doors of Top Chef to Pierre Chomet. And it's easy to see why, as it's a truly wonderful discovery. Deconstructed rice noodles are transformed into crispy toast, under which shrimp tartare with tamarind, peanut and shrimp head is hidden. The whole dish is accompanied by a hot broth that transports us to Asia.

• To be read
• Tips for the week of November 4 - 10, 2024 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings
• What to do in Paris and the Paris Region in November 2024? Our tips and ideas for outings
• Where to eat out in Paris? Good addresses, discoveries and favorites by arrondissement

The cauliflower, for its part, is worked like a risotto, with special warm oysters placed on top, and rye bread croutons. All this is accompanied by an iodized mousse that takes us straight to the seaside.

We then move on to the main courses. We opt for the Line Cod with butternut and spinach salad in a miso beurre blanc with pumpkin seed and buckwheat seed condiment. Melt-in-your-mouth, you'll be swept away by the voluptuousness of this dish.

The Braised Castille Beef, on the other hand, is full of character, with a more full-bodied sauce. Well confit, it cuts like butter and marries perfectly with the melting endive and its burnt orange condiment.

For those of us with a sweet tooth, dessert is a must. On the menu, an astonishing whisky-smoked chocolate with buckwheat ice cream. This dessert is something of a childhood memory for both chefs, echoing Pierre's grandmother's chocolate mousse, his grandfather's cigars and the whisky that accompanied Cristina's grandfather's chocolate. In any case, it's a delicious dessert to try.

For a fresher end to the meal, we let ourselves be seduced by the Agrumes: grapefruit siphon, lemon, Timut pepper diplomate and basil sorbet, two dots of meringue and we're full and our palates are awake.

In short, it's a wonderful discovery to make. Although the restaurant is often fully booked in the evenings, lunchtime service is still quiet and accessible, so we advise you to choose this time slot whenever possible, so you can perhaps have the pleasure of chatting a little with the chefs.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner all week except weekends. And yes, as parents of a young child, they are keen to preserve this family moment par excellence, and we understand.