Bloom Garden, chef Olivier Streiff's restaurant in the Bloom House hotel

The Bloom Househotel from the Forstyle Hôtels Collection group has just opened its doors between the Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord stations, further accelerating the transformation - La Caserne having already made a good start on the job - of this district left behind until now by hotels and choice restaurants.

At the heart of this 91-room hotel, with its lushly decorated interior patio, pampering spa and beautiful common room combining warm colors, woven lighting and book-lined shelves, is the hotel's Bloom Garden restaurant.

Heading up the kitchens is a chef we were hoping to see again one of these days, Olivier Streiff. It has to be said that his appearance on Top Chef season 2015 (old-timers will remember) had left a lasting impression, as much for his Robert Smith-esque look as for his bold, creative ideas that had won over the chef jurors - the chef candidate had made it all the way to the semi-finals.

He's back in the capital, with a Hercule Poirot moustache to boot, but his creativity remains unchanged. And he's still committed to good produce and short supply chains, concepts that the Lorrain native already championed at his restaurant Le Relais de Saulx in Beaune - opened with his wife and closing in 2021.

With this new address, Olivier Streiff wishes to highlight his learning of the Mediterranean, cradled by his experience in the palaces, where he cut his teeth at Fouquet's, among other places. The menu features plates for sharing, which we think are even more original than the starters themselves: eggplant caviar and banana (7€), sweetbread samossas (10€) or breaded beef cheek cubes with coffee vinaigrette (10€).

The dishes also surprise with their intrepid combinations, such as the pavé de maigre married with green anise (€26), the tournedos de veau, pan-fried polenta and licorice (€30), and the roasted cauliflower, Ugandan vanilla and argan (€21).

Initially open for dinner only from Tuesday to Saturday, Bloom Garden unveils a menu of carefully-crafted cocktails (€16) and mocktails (€11), devised by world cocktail champion and barista Victor Delpierre. Produced according to the seasonality of the produce, they won over our palates, particularly the Green Spritz cocktail, all plant vibes, with verjuice, coriander, dill, mint and champagne.

When it comes to desserts, originality is always the order of the day, as with the coulant chocolat Pérou 65% (12€) with candied peppers, the sablé breton with figs (14€) and fromage blanc sorbet, or the panna cotta with reine des prés (12€) and tonka. There's no doubt about it,Olivier Streiff 's return is doing the capital a world of good.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.