Les Caryatides, Alfred Sommier's confidential and historic terrace restaurant

Located in the historic heart of Paris, in the Hôtel Alfred Sommier, a former Parisian townhouse dating from the mid-19th century, Les Caryatides offers a unique culinary experience that evokes the house's rich past. This historic site, transformed into a 5* hotel, is an exceptional setting for this restaurant, where the art of entertaining has been carefully preserved.

The hotel, located at 20 rue de l'Arcade, near Place de la Madeleine, was originally built as the "petit" hôtel de Soubise by Pierre Contant d'Ivry for the Maréchal de Soubise. Today, under the aegis of Richard de Warren de Rosanbo, a descendant of the Sommier family, the hotel has been transformed into a luxurious 5-star hotel, reviving the ancestral home.

Les Caryatides restaurant unfolds in a Louis XV decor. With high ceilings and three large lanterns illuminating the woodwork, the atmosphere gives the feeling of sitting at a family table. The caned medallion chairs and Gien crockery bearing Alfred's name are a fine way to start. It owes its name to the famous ornamental statues that decorate the entrance to the dining room.

Chef Edouard Ogier, at the helm of Les Caryatides, has worked his way up through the ranks of the very best: four years at Laurent, five years at La Réserve Paris, a few months at La Tour d'Argent, as well as at Le Clarence and Hélène Darroze. With such experience, you'd expect the best on the plate, and you're not disappointed.

To make the experience even more personal, the restaurant is offering the "Menu de Jeanne" in honor of Jeanne Sommier. This menu, priced at €59, includes "signature" dishes such as:

• Beet served with salmon gravlax, a reminder of the Sommier family's sugar business,
• The roasted cans traditionally served with Burgundy wine, evoking the family's region of origin,
• And "Alfred's childhood memory", a mysterious dessert to discover that recalls the family's baking origins.
  

Other delights await you on the à la carte menu, including starters and small dishes to share, salads and a variety of desserts. Under the glass roof, in the dining room or even on a table in the garden-terrace in fine weather, you can relax and enjoy a delightful discovery.

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As you'd expect, the menu changes with the seasons. During our visit to Les Caryatides restaurant, we reveal what we discovered. An opportunity to give you an insight into the savoir-faire of Chef Edouard Ogier and his team.

We began with a series of appetizers full of finesse and flavor. The salmon gravlax, our signature dish, served with beet and potato salad, is a wonderful discovery, while the quinoa, citrus and avocado salad, fresh and light, is ideal for sunny days.

For the main course, we liked the Fregola Sarda, with its crunchy vegetables and garlic emulsion, which transported us straight to Sardinia with its authenticity. The roast duckling, served with French-style peas, is truly generous, balanced and full of character. And to complete this trio of main courses, the Pêche de Normandie of the day, a perfectly prepared skate, made us appreciate the flavors of the sea with unforgettable delicacy.

To end on a sweet note, we were seduced by the apple tarte Tatin, a French classic revisited with brio, combining crisp pastry, caramelized sugar and apple millefeuille. And to round off this culinary journey, we sampled Alfred's "Souvenir d'enfance" with bread, a mysterious dessert that, beyond its delicious flavor, evokes the Sommier family memory.

Experiencing Les Caryatides is undoubtedly a journey for the senses, an immersion in history, and a unique opportunity to discover French haute cuisine. A must-see on your next visit to Paris, for a lunch break, a romantic dinner or simply to savor a moment out of time. Please note that the restaurant is open to all, lunchtime and evening, Tuesday to Saturday, upon reservation.