The first time I saw chef Thibault Sombardier, it was on television and I fell in love, not with him – he’s too young, but with his work and his passion for what he is doing. He didn’t win the finals at Top Chef 2014 but nevertheless, he left as a winner!
Since then, I had wanted to try his restaurant Antoine on Avenue de New York in Paris – his talent and achievements at such a young age fascinated me. At the age of 28, he was already the chef of the one Michelin-starred restaurant Antoine. His path is remarkable and so is his cuisine.
The color white dominates the restaurant, creating an elegant atmosphere: white walls, white table cloths, and white napkins. The benches, the chairs, and the wood floor are of a dark brown that accentuates the whiteness of the rest of the décor. Big bay windows and a magnificent view of the Eiffel tower are added highlights that cannot be neglected. On each table, little pebbles are a reminder of the sea and the ocean. Some amuse-bouches and appetizers are served on pebbles as well, which shouldn’t be a surprise, as Antoine is focused on seafood.
Very early in his career, Thibault Sombardier started to be passionate about seafood and the different methods of cooking fish. Pollack, scallops, sea bass, lobster, crawfish … Thibaut has the knowledge and the sensitivity in regards to fish required to always find the best ways to prepare them. He only works with wild fish and rare ones, such as beryx du golfe de Gascogne (Alfonsino), chapon de Meditéranee (scorpion fish), etc.
The restaurant offers an à la carte menu with mostly seafood but also a few meat dishes. What I highly recommend is the menu par Thibault Sombardier. Three choices at three different prices: the four-course menu Découverte (discovery) at €95, the six-course menu Terre et mer (earth and sea) at €150, and the Expression, an eight-course menu at €180. Antoine has definitely increased its prices since its chef appeared on the TV show, Top Chef!
We opted for the six-course menu and it was so refined and full of powerful flavors. The whole dinner was grace and delight!
People always say the winner is the one we keep in mind but in 2014 it was definitely Thibault Sombardier!
Antoine
10 Avenue de New York, 75116 Paris
📞+33 1 40 70 19 28
Price: $$$$
Four-course menu Découverte (discovery): €95
Six-course menu Terre et mer (earth and sea): €150
Eight-course menu Expression: €180
Sunday and Monday closed
[…] Two charming and handsome – they really are – young men, both finalists of Top Chef in 2014 and 2015, Thibault Sombardier and Kevin d’Andréa pooled their knowledge and their passion to open this fabulous bistro: Mensae. Chef Thibault Sombardier is far from a novice in the field; he is the (head?) chef at Antoine, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the 16th arrondissement. (Read my blog post). […]
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