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Clockwise from above: Chef Omar Dhiab; sea bream is amongst the


exquisitely prepared dishes at Omar Dhiab in Paris; stunning creations from Rozo in Marcq-en-Barœul in the Nord department; Omar Dhiab’s stylish address in Paris


Both of us ordered l’oeuf Christian Dior, one of Prunier’s new signature dishes, to start. Arriving at the table, this dish seemed prim – a coddled egg in a robe of caviar-flecked, ivory-coloured cream with a jaunty snippet of chive posed on its belly as sort of teasing, minimalist boutonnière. The waiter advised us to cut the egg with a spoon all the way through so that we’d include the ham-essence flavoured aspic at the bottom of the dish with every bite, and heeding him, we had a jaw-droppingly sensual experience of runny egg yolk, cream, caviar, and porcine pleasure all at once. Langoustines in caviar cream were excellent, too, but less surprising than the astonishing egg, an edible work of art. “I think this might just be the most beautiful restaurant in the world,” Ruth said, and I reminisced about the caviar-addled after-show parties hosted by the late Pierre Bergé, the co-founder of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house, that I once attended in the private dining rooms upstairs during a long-ago job in Paris that required me to attend fashion shows. Now Prunier is newly owned by the Swiss investment group OLMA Luxury Holdings, but the magic of this place survives intact.


The rest of the menu – including original dishes like a very refreshing starter of celery aspic with tomato water and caviar and linguine with a succulent lobster bolognaise and superb renditions of such Paris comfort-food classics as breaded fried whiting – was impeccable, too. Prunier is a wonderful choice for a justifiably extravagant night out on the town in Paris for seafood lovers.  16 Avenue Victor Hugo, 16th arrondissement, Paris. Lunch menu €68, set menus €125 or €190. Tel. (33) 01 44 17 35 85, www.prunier.com


OMAR DHIAB, PARIS Tucked away in an ancient side street on the edge of Les Halles in the heart of Paris, young chef Omar Dhiab’s first restaurant is a soothing, intimate place with walnut-panelled and toast- coloured walls and mid-century style furniture that nods at the sleek elegance of his contemporary French cooking.


Dhiab was born in France to Egyptian parents and recently held posts as chef de cuisine at L’Abeille at the Hotel Shangri-La in Paris and Loiseau Rive Gauche. Dhiab is a technically precise chef whose cooking is inspired by the seasonal and usually local produce he chooses to


76 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Feb/Mar 2023


IMAGES © ADEL FECIH, VIRGINIE GARNIER, PIERRE LUCET-PENATO;, MP MOREL


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