Le Cinq

Review Highlights

Le Cinq is the three-Michelin-starred flagship restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel George V, an Art Deco landmark in the heart of Paris that has stood since 1928. Under Chef Christian Le Squer, who took the helm in 2014 and restored the restaurant's lost third star by 2016, Le Cinq offers one of the most expensive tasting menus in the world at 590 euros. Alexander The Guest, a returning guest, visits for the full tasting experience — from Le Squer's signature Dublin Bay prawn to the legendary 50,000-bottle wine cellar — and discovers that behind the gilded luxury lies a surprisingly warm and playful dining room.

• ·Canapés — Light, fresh bites to open the meal, setting a polished tone.
• ·Dublin Bay prawn with buckwheat pancake, whisked cream of mayonnaise and mustard — One of Chef Le Squer's signature dishes. The server calls it a 'one-way ticket to heaven.' 'The sauce is perfectly frothy and balance is excellent. Simple ingredients are often the hardest to get right, but this was brilliant.'
• ·Line-fished sea bass with caviar and buttermilk — Warm, sweet, and milky, balanced with the saltiness of caviar. A generous portion with clean, precise flavors.
• ·Gratinated onions in a contemporary Parisian style — 'A taste explosion that reminded me of French onion soup and triggered memories of my childhood. A nice trip down memory lane I wasn't expecting.'
• ·Standing spaghetti gratin with ham, porcini mushroom, parmesan sticks, and mushroom truffle sauce — Another Le Squer signature. 'As rich and flavorful as it looks. The flavors play so well together it's hard to put your finger on it.'
• ·Lightly smoked eel in a red wine sauce with dark bread — Sharp, precise flavors with a presentation reminiscent of a modern painting. 'I don't usually like eel that much, but the flavors here are sharp.'
• ·Sweetbread — à la carte order (€120), slightly roasted on top with butter and a bit of milk. 'Amazingly delicious, rich, and well-prepared.'
• ·Yeast ice cream — A fermented, sourdough-like flavor that is unexpectedly creamy and appetizing. 'I loved the modern art look of it.'

Alexander calls Le Cinq 'definitely worth a visit,' praising a meal whose lavish setting belies the warmth within. The tasting menu, now 590 euros, is among the most expensive in the world, but he finds the friendly, professional service and heart-warming atmosphere justify the experience. He has since returned with his daughter and the restaurant delivered again — proof, he says, of a team that builds on 'the little things that make an experience truly memorable.'

About

Le Cinq is the three-Michelin-starred gastronomic restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel George V, an Art Deco landmark on Avenue George V in Paris's 8th arrondissement. Helmed by Chef Christian Le Squer — named best chef in Paris in 2019 — it offers a tasting menu priced at 590 euros, making it one of the most expensive three-star experiences in the world. The restaurant is backed by one of France's largest hotel wine collections, with over 50,000 bottles stored in a 14-meter-deep underground cellar, including a Madeira from 1792.