Somewhere, the gourmet marine restaurant of top chef Florian Barbarot

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Published by Manon de Sortiraparis · Photos by Manon de Sortiraparis · Published on April 21th, 2022 at 05:56 p.m.
Immerse yourself in the depths and dive into the world of the abyss with chef Florian Barbarot, who has just opened Quelque Part, his gourmet restaurant featuring the finest seafood.

Chef Florian Barbarot takes us into the depths of the sea at his mysteriously named new restaurant, Quelque Part. An acclaimed contestant in season 10 of Top Chef, the young chef's cuisine focuses on seafood and the finest dishes from France's terroir, with direct links to small producers in Normandy and the Paris region.

For this plunge into the abyss, Florian Barbarot has imagined a raw universe, where tables with a refined layout take their place in a hushed, minimalist atmosphere. In the basement is the restaurant's centerpiece, a capsule that invites guests to spend a special moment with the chef during their meal. Here, the chef chooses a product and brings it to light in front of gourmets, bridging the gap between the kitchen and the dining room and culminating in a tasting session.

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On the à la carte menu, seafood , fish, shellfish and other crustaceans are king, and are revealed in several tasting menus offered at lunchtime for 38€ and 44€, and in the evening for 78€ in 5 dive levels, and 108€ in 8 courses.

To accompany these marine delicacies, sommelier Thibault Daubresse selects a host of French wines, some of them natural and biodynamic, while creative cocktails are also on offer, including theSweet Immersion (vodka, pineapple, lemongrass, vanilla, chartreuse) and theIodized Immersion (mezcal, coriander, green pepper, Kampot pepper, ginger, lemon oyster water espuma).

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The dive begins with a tasty haddock croque-monsieur, quinoa chips withsmoked eel, mango-avocado tartar and coriander, and clams, the famous American clam, in a parsley crust, accompanied by a coral sponge cake, chorizo-almond condiment and tarragon oil. We then go back up to the surface to discover beet in compression (23€), 24-month comté, beet juice sorbet with sherry and walnut veil (23€); before diving back into the underwater pits.

This is followed by saithe gravlax (21€) with fennel salt, roasted onion petals and a delicate corn ice cream; and brandaris (35€), a small mollusc with a texture similar to that of a whelk, presented in the spirit of a kebab. A wood-fired kebab spit arrives at our table, on which the mollusks are impaled - it's a pity that the mollusks are not fully cooked in this way, and that the spit serves mainly as a display. Placed on puffed bread and topped with a samurai sea sauce, the brandaris are a delightful discovery.

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Without catching our breath, our immersion into the depths continues with the excellent abalone (44€) infused with Polynesian vanilla, its pea royale and coral velouté, and an astonishing dehydrated abalone charcuterie that comes grated poutargue-style; before concluding with the retour de pêche (47€), an enchanting trio of nougat-crusted scallops, snacked langoustine and a declination of Jerusalem artichokes in two ways, all three linked by a powerful jus de civet de la mer, in the manner of a jus de gibier.

Before moving on to the sweet part, whose logbook is written by pastry chef Pierre-Henry Lecompte, we rinse the palate with the textured chaource (12€), its fallée of green apple and roasted Guémené andouille, its gingerbread sand and its airy chaource mousse infused with ginger and lime. A little break before setting sail again, since the sea also invites itself into the desserts.

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Theoyster (17€) is placed atop a nori seaweed ravioli and grapefruit sorbet. Candied, it is covered with a veil of jelly made from citrus water and topped with a peel foam. Gourmets with less of a sea legs can turn to other, less adventurous but equally convincing sweet creations, such as this roasted pineapple, French toast, pineapple-coriander sorbet and lime-curry gel, the dessert of the day.

Last but not least, Captain Florian Barbarot awaits the young sailors aboard his ship on Sundays, for a brunch of planks to share. The menu features marine variations, as well as classic brunch dishes revisited with a maritime twist - salmon waffles, fish charcuterie and spicy prawns. First mate Pierre-Henry Lecompte offers homemade pastries and other sweet treats, accompanied by freshly squeezed fruit juice and a hot drink.

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While Restaurant Quelque Part opened its doors just a few weeks after the new Michelin Guide 2022 macaroons were awarded, it could well be that this plunge into the depths of the sea in the company of Florian Barbarot will be rewarded with a glittering (sea) star next year.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.

Practical information

Location

1 Rue Ambroise Thomas
75009 Paris 9

Accessibility info

Official website
www.quelquepart-restaurant.com

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