The first time I had a taste of Yoshiaki-san’s cuisine was on Rue de Longchamp in the 16th arrondissement at one Michelin-starred restaurant called Hiramatsu. Two years later, it was in his heaven on Rue de la Tour where Chef Yoshiaki Ito has poured his soul into his own restaurant, L’Archeste, another Michelin-starred restaurant.

A dark blue façade at the bottom of a Haussmannian luxurious Parisian building in the 16th arrondissement, a simple silver metallic square sign with the word L’ARCHESTE, and a discreet vertical sign on the side are the only indicators for the restaurant.
The interior repeats the aforementioned dark blue shade on the walls, with light wooden paneling at the entrance and a beige carpet for the floor. The tables, covered with beige leather, match the beige-leather upholstered, light wood chairs. Even the table setting is uncluttered and stylish. The effect is so pure and elegant and it reflects to perfection the aura of the restaurant.
We were greeted by a charming hostess who introduced us to the house lunch concept: a three-course menu for €44 or a five-course meal for €65. Debbie Kobayashi (who has written previously on Worldfooddina and who is a foodie expert) and I opted for the long version for our lunch. Do it all or don’t do it at all is my motto!
It was truffle season and we had the opportunity to add a $2000/kilo Australian truffle to the menu. The actual portion, though, ended up being €30 that we shared.
We started our tasting menu with a glass of Bruno Pallard champagne and a dish of exquisite vegetables: browned green beans with anchovies from Getaria, Spain, little carrots, and cucumber, all direct from the Loire region.
All the dishes were beautifully presented and absolutely delicious!
Gazpacho with red pepper mousse, burrata cheese hidden within, garnished with drops of Xérès wine vinegar. The basil leaves added color but also a refined taste to the dish.
Poached foie gras, cuttlefish, and sauce gribiche poured onto the dish at the table. Sauce gribiche is a mayonnaise-style cold egg sauce made by emulsifying hard-boiled egg yolks and mustard with oil.
A wonderful tasty monkfish served with sour redcurrants; the combination of all the ingredients exploded in the mouth to reach a high level of refinement.
The second entrée was a duck breast with aromatic black truffles and deep-fried baby corn – the corn silk literally shattered in my mouth – veal stock, and girolle mushrooms!
For our dessert we had a brand new invention from the chef: fresh strawberries and meringue with hidden litchi ice cream. The most seductive ice cream flavor I’ve ever encountered.
We paired the food with a glass of white Meursault for Debbie and a glass of Pinot noir Morey St. Denis for me, excellent suggestions by our friendly sommelier, Benoit.
To end this fantastic lunch: cannelés and Truffe chocolates filled with refreshingly cold Assam tea.
In a nutshell, my experience at L’Archeste was a pure delight! Thank you so much Chef Yoshiyaki Ito for this outstanding meal and warm welcome.
With chef Yoshiaki
L’Archeste
79 Rue de la Tour, 75116 Paris, France
📞+33 1 40 71 69 68
Price: $$$$
Tasting menu: Lunch €44-65 – Dinner €98
Share: