She was predestined for economics, then finally plunged body and soul into the culinary arts. From Alain Passard to the Presidency of the Senate , the 28-year-old chef Rebecca Beaufour is emancipating herself from her elders by opening her first restaurant. Baptized Dante , in reference to the author of the Divine Comedy , it was only natural that he took up residence in the gourmet rue de Paradis .
Gastronomic friendliness
If Rebecca Beaufour has given in to the sirens of small plates to share, it's not out of trendy panurgism but out of desire and gluttony. Regardless of the plethoric offer in the genre, she likes the big tables where the small dishes waltz in the big ones.
The former economics student sacrificed everything on the altar of good food to train in big houses that often flirted with the stars ( L'Arpège , La Table de l'Espadon du Ritz or Le Grand Véfour ) . The click to run for the stars of freedom comes after his experience with Julien Duboué , the ex-Top Chef ambassador of the new bistronomy ( Bolom , A Noste ). It's decided, his table will be uninhibited, daring and warm.
Polyglot plates
Rebecca Beaufour knows the classicism of French gastronomy and masters the techniques learned from Ferrandi to the kitchens of the Senate with the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France . At Dante , the smiling chef is banking on travel. By way of welcome, beautiful slices of brioche bread tumble onto the table, generously dipped in olive oil.
The tone is set and Rebecca is busy both in the kitchen and in the dining room to recommend wine or serve her little world tour of flavors: Asia with a confit pork bao , Spain with apple ravioli earth with egg and pata negra ham or Italy with gnocchi with sage butter, Peru with ceviche , not to mention the amazing vanilla burnt tomatoes, his signature dish.
It is out of the question to ignore the regressive yet light desserts: crispy profiteroles or the maritozzo , a small brioche topped with whipped cream like in Rome! Seasonality obliges, certain proposals will no longer be on the autumn menu but we are already salivating at the joy of returning to Dante to taste his beef katsu sando or his lemongrass basil prawn ravioli.
A soft and lively decor
To rethink the space of the former Paradis restaurant, Rebecca called on some architect friends and enlisted the design advice of Gilbert Kann to select the furniture with a predilection for blond woods. If the staircase banister of the old liner France which leads to the floor - which was not yet furnished - has been preserved, the rest of the space has been completely redesigned with an open kitchen by curves and rounded. Guests can thus follow the soft music of pans and crackling cooking. The little extra? The large bay windows that filter the light can open completely onto the street. It feels like home.
Open. noon and evening from Tuesday to Saturday. Lunch menu €25 (starter, main course, dessert), discovery menu €65, à la carte from €8 to €22.
Also check out La main noire, the new coffee shop like in Melbourne and Ava Kitchen, the new spot
