We loved La Crèmerie and Au Bon Saint Pourçain – now David Lanher is back with Racines des Prés, a new restaurant close to our hotels.

And once again, out meal was extremely memorable…

Here’s our review.

Nestled on quiet street behind boulevard Saint-Germain, close to the rue du Bac, Racine des Prés opened just a few months ago but has already made a great impression.

The small venue fills up quickly, and it’s best to book your table a week or so in advance. The room is smartly decorated, the staff is young and the welcome very warm. Look closely out our photo of the front of the place, and you’ll be able to see the chefs waving as I take their photo!
before we start out meal, a little mise en bouche arrives – crispy fried raviolis with parmesan cheese, marrow and Swiss chard, served on a bed of wheat. Great to look at and very tasty!
And just after that – surprise! A second mise en bouche: lightly resting on crispy rice flakes, there’s a small ball of house-made cheese with basil. It’s fresh, light and melts in the mouth. Very much appreciated.
Now it’s time to take our starters. My co-diner chooses oysters from Utah Beach.

Poached fresh, they are served with a cucumber sorbet that gives a touch of sweetness, unpasteurised whipped cream, roasted buckwheat and most importantly vinegar-infused shallots that remind one of the vinaigrette used in a full-blown oyster-tasting session.

And what great presentation!

My choice goes to the mushroom and hazelnut ravioli, with a foamy crab bisque and spring onion.

The ravioli are fried and crispy. The foam has a slightly woody taste to it with the mushroom coming through very strongly. Very good indeed!

For our first main dish, we choose monkfish tail with peas, beans, kale and white asparagus.

It’s served warm but not hot and has a smokey taste to it (perhaps cooked à la plancha?), with green vegetables, some of the pureed, giving a varied textures that go well with the fish.

Next, we ask for a vegetarian dish (not on the menu) which arrives strangely lukewarm (some of the vegetable are cold even) but with a good mix of tastes and textures (the wild asparagus was a highlight). Nicely presented, the dish shows that the chef is able to adapt and improvise whenever needed.
After so many successful dishes, we are already looking forward to dessert.

The chocolate soufflé tart, served on a biscuit base and accompanied by a scoop of cocoa sorbet, looks almost like a large biscuit at first, but cutting into it reveals a melted chocolate interior that starts to flow onto the plate. The cocoa sorbet is also a great success.

As for the strawberry-rhubarb vacherin, which was supposed to be served with red fruit ice cream, it il arrives in a meringue half globe with what resembles a lime mousse. Superb nonetheless.
With so many good restaurants in David Lanher’s wake, it would have been astonishing for this one to be a disappointment. Racine des Prés is jam-packed with great culinary ideas and positive vibes, and a special mention goes to the great presentation.

Try requesting a seat at the bar, opposite the kitchen, for an even more exciting experience!

Racines des Prés (here) is open every day except Sunday evenings and Monday

Tel. +33 (0)1 45 48 14 16

Facebook: facebook.com/RacinesdesPres

Instagram: instagram.com/racinesdespres

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A post shared by Racines Des Prés (@racinesdespres) on Jun 21, 2017 at 7:17am PDT