Chef Alain Dutournier has earned a loyal following for his immaculate, finely judged, modern take on classical French cuisine at this two-starred Michelin restaurant near Place Vendôme in central Paris. Dishes such as pan-fried veal sweetbreads, chanterelles mushrooms, and purple artichokes, and thick chop of “Noir de Bigorre” pork, creamy morels, and tender small fava beans, nod to his roots in southwestern France—an influence that is also detectable on a wine list that is unusually catholic in its circumnavigation of the Gallic vinous world.
As senior judge at the World’s Best Wine Lists awards, Andrew Jefford, said, Carré des Feuillants offers “a very impressive list of big French names—big names from all the regions, not just the classics.” So yes, there is a parade of the great and good of Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the Rhône, represented by many vintages. But there are also picks from the lesser-spotted southwestern appellations such as Irouléguy, Fronton, and St-Mont (and the more frequently seen Cahors and Madiran) alongside wines from the best producers in Corsica and Provence and the Jura. There’s an awesome selection from the Languedoc-Roussillon, too, while the Loire and Alsace are both covered in glorious detail.
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