Le Clarence
At Le Clarence in January 2026, Andrea Capasso sent Time Out France's critic a lièvre à la royale (hare in the royal style) laid out as a black half-circle with a white dot of horseradish.4
Why go
Christophe Pelé made this room's name. He cooked here from the November 2015 opening, in a mansion near the Grand Palais owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon, the family behind Château Haut-Brion (Le Clarence). The MICHELIN Guide gave the room two stars in its 2016 edition, a couple of months after the doors opened (Andy Hayler). If there's one restaurant that chefs love nearly unanimously, it's Le Clarence,
Fodor's wrote in January 2024. The chef Paul Boudier told the magazine what he loved in Pelé's food: He's really mastered the classics, but each and every time, he manages to twist them.
(Fodor's)
The house announced Pelé's departure after ten years in September 2025 (Au Coeur du CHR). Andrea Capasso, his second for six years, took over the kitchen and kept both stars in the 2026 guide (Le Clarence). Capasso, who trained in Italy under Riccardo Camanini of Lido 84 (Le Clarence), slips Italian twists into what he calls 'satellite' dishes,
in the MICHELIN inspectors' words (MICHELIN Guide).
At 150 euros, the weekday lunch is the cheapest way to eat Capasso's cooking, so book that. Aitor Alfonso of Time Out France ate it in January 2026, unannounced and paying, and found the same daring land-and-sea variations that are the house's mark, but in a tamer version
(les mêmes audacieuses variations terre-mer qui font la marque du lieu mais dans une version assagie
). He still called Le Clarence an address far above the rest
(une adresse très au-dessus du lot
) (Time Out France). Florence Valencourt of Yonder ate a month later and wanted more of the new cook on the plate: Controlled and tasty, certainly, but one would like to see more of the chef's personality in future
(C'est maîtrisé et savoureux certes, mais on aimerait encore plus apercevoir la personnalité du chef à l'avenir
) (Yonder).
Gault&Millau was harder on it in 2026: Our first experiences were indeed half-hearted.
Its critic went on, you get bored in these luxurious lounges, which seem more than ever to be designed for a very wealthy foreign clientele
(Gault&Millau). Valencourt saw the same crowd and called the room a magnet for well-off tourists
(un aimant à touristes aisés
). She took her coffee upstairs, looking out at the Grand Palais (Yonder).
Order this / avoid
- On the menu: the lièvre à la royale. Aitor Alfonso, Time Out France, January 2026:
masterly
(magistral dans l'exercice
).4 - On the menu: brown crab with kiwi and nori, and, in Florence Valencourt's words for Yonder in February 2026,
a little yuzu kosho to wake the whole thing up
(un peu de yuzu kosho pour réveiller l'ensemble
).5 - On the menu: the quail, served in two services. Valencourt, February 2026:
less classic than it looks and perfectly executed
(moins classique qu'il n'y paraît et parfaitement exécutée
).5 - On the menu: the corn dessert. Gault&Millau, 2026:
a lovely corn dessert, airy and elegant, with its toasty and chocolate nuances enhanced by a dash of smoked tea gel.
6 - Avoid: the pollack with kumquat and tellin sauce. Gault&Millau, 2026:
an extremely flat pollack, lacking in gourmandise and seasoning.
6 - Drink: by the glass from 15 euros in January 2026 (Time Out France), or a bottle from a list that David Lebovitz, who ate here in Pelé's time, said
has plenty of gems for under €100
(David Lebovitz).
What locals & experts say
- The MICHELIN inspectors, 2026 guide:
In the wake of Christophe Pelé, Andrea Capasso has embraced the house tradition of unfettered, yet disciplined cuisine strewn with bold notes.
7 - Eloi Spinnler, chef at Orgueil, on Pelé's kitchen, January 2024:
the best restaurant I've eaten in in Paris.
8 - Oliver Piras, chef, on Pelé's kitchen, January 2024:
It's one of the benchmarks of world gastronomy.
8 - Gault&Millau, 2026, on the service:
the excellent general level of service, under the direction of Charles Weyland.
6
Good to know
- Prices, read September 2026: 150 euros for the weekday lunch, 250 and 380 for the lunch tasting menus, and 280 for four sequences or 430 for six at dinner.24
- Lunch is quicker than it was. The house built the weekday lunch to take an hour to an hour and a half (Le Clarence). Antoine Besse of Time Out told readers to
be prepared to spend a good three hours at the table
in Pelé's time, in April 2023 (Time Out). - Shut Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in the MICHELIN and Time Out France listings. The house offers its weekday lunch from Tuesday, so check its booking page if you need that day.72
- Book ahead on the house's site or on 01 82 82 10 10. David Lebovitz:
Reservations obligatory.
11 - Dress: Lebovitz says men
would feel more comfortable wearing a sport jacket and dress slacks, but a tie isn't necessary.
11
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Timeout top 50"
Verdict
should-visit — Take the weekday lunch and judge Andrea Capasso for yourself. He worked beside Christophe Pelé for six years and kept both stars after Pelé left. Time Out France found his cooking calmer than Pelé's and still far above most of Paris. Dinner runs 280 to 430 euros before wine.