At just 27 years of age, Vartivar Jarkezian has had an extraordinary career. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, this Armenian-born chef cut his teeth in Saudi Arabia for ten years before flying to Paris in 2015, where he worked at the Bissac restaurant, not far from the Opéra, before climbing the ranks at Shabour, where he finished as sous-chef.
In 2023, titillated by a desire to be the chef of his own address, he took over the reins of the Campelli restaurant, two blocks from the Palais-Royal. And it's only natural that he should sketch out the contours of a cuisine steeped in his childhood memories, revisiting culinary traditions from Beirut, of course, but also from Jeddah andYerevan.
To create his dishes built aroundoriental flavors andspices (zaatar, sumac, orange blossom, rose), the chef uses resolutely contemporary gastronomic techniques, but always keeps his roots in mind, as with his flagship dish, Flora's cauliflower, inspired by his mother's recipe.
For Campelli's liquid side, Vartivar Jarkezian has enlisted the help of Claristin Christopher (formerly of the Ritz Bar), both room manager and mixologist. If cocktails and mocktails are part of the menu, so is wine, with no less than 85 references of wines from France and around the world, including Armenia, to be discovered through food and wine pairings in 5 glasses (59€) and 7 glasses (79€).
While it's possible to choose from the à la carte menu, Campelli's route can also be explored via two discovery menus at €89 (5 courses, tested during our visit) and €109 (7 courses). Although it started well, our lunch turned out to be rather uneven, especially towards the very end.
In detail, we start perfectly, with an enchanting trio of amuse-bouches: a beet cake with vegetable charcoal, yoghurt and raspberry vinegar; a mint, tarragon and Armenian pepper tartlet; a green olive siphon, capers and a delicate feather of zaatar; and a date molasses butter and Tunisian olive oil spread on a little brioche bath, so we don't want to spoil our pleasure.
Then there's Flora's famous cauliflower (16€), a roasted cauliflower in several textures, accompanied by tahini, sesame, coriander pesto and sumac to be sautéed in turn; the delicate snacked scallops and oriental sorrel salad (25€); then the Caucasian manti (27€), a raviole stuffed with mushrooms - a little bland, despite the surrounding herbs - accompanied by a red cabbage salad - which is too salty.
The farmhouse poultry with beurre blanc (31€) that follows, presented alongside a glazed carrot topped with white grapes, takes us back to France all too suddenly and seems pale in comparison to previous discoveries, while the desserts - an overpriced mhalabieh with orange blossom (15€) and a trio of ice creams with original flavors and small cocoa cookies (14€) - left us a little hungry.
For a more intimate lunch or dinner, Campelli has a private room in the basement that can accommodate up to 16 diners.
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.
Location
Campelli
36 Rue Croix des Petits Champs
75001 Paris 1
Official website
campelli.paris