Located at Hotel Plaza Athénée, it’s red decorated ambience is inviting and tasteful

If anyone has mastered the art of outdoor café sitting, it’s the French. Ensconced at a table with dark sunglasses, legs crossed, one arm on the table while the other hand holds a coffee cup, with a blank stare: this is French culture and La Terrasse Montaigne at 25 Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement expresses this part of French culture all too well. But La Terrasse Montaigne is a little different. Not your typical café, it’s set in front of Hotel Plaza Athénée and positioned at the entrance of the hotel, under a sea of red awnings, and behind a topary-ed iron gate, its luxury café dining to a T.

The restaurant is inviting and perfect for an afternoon lunch or early dinner, particularly if you’re not looking for something heavy. The ambience is inviting for friends or a couple to sit and take in the warm summer air in the City of Lights, which is getting ready for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. And there is a new seafood concept by Chef Jean Imbert that includes shellfish, oysters, and crustaceans that we just can’t get enough of.

Seafood to the max

The new menu was launched on May 15th and is paired with champagne. Imbert has included lobster claws with caviar, Cap Ferret tarama flavored with buckwheat, crab cakes revisited with coral sauce and langoustine spring rolls. There’s also razor clams in a Ponzu sauce, clams with Jalapeño peppers, and langoustines with aromatic herbs. To do this the renowned chef uses seafood from local producers, as well as seasonal ingredients.

If seafood isn’t your thing, ordering a la carte is just as nice. The Burrata as a starter is light and tasteful. Surrounded by red and yellow tomatoes, it’s nice to share or have an entrée. The McCarthy Salad that hails from The Beverly Hills Hotel, also a Dorchester Collection property hits the spot, at least for me it did. Sitting on a bed or romaine, it includes diced tomatoes, chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon (optional), boiled egg, beets, and is topped with an avocado. And don’t forget dessert. The Dame Sundae is a little more whip topping than vanilla ice cream, but the hot chocolate sauce makes up for it.

Le Cour Jardin

On May 7th Le Cour Jardin opened and includes vegetarian ensembles by Imbert. The summer inspired menu matches all palates. Collaborating with Chef Jocelyn Herland, Imbert uses produce from local market gardeners, fishermen, and farmers. For example, vegetables frome from Ferme du Perche, the tomatoes are sourced from Jacky Mercier, and zucchini flowers come from Didier Pil’s garden at Petit-Moulin or Christophe Latour’s Epicerie Fine Latour.

You’ll find unique creations like caviar-infused macaroni and a plethora of vegetarian dishes.

Cinema and Plaza Athénée

From June 30 to July 4th, Plaza Athénée and La Cour Jardin will welcome their open-air cinema. Working with MK2 cinema group, every film will come with a bespoke menu related to the film being shown. Every film will be “served in sync with the scenes, promising guests an immersive culinary journey. Surprises await throughout the tasting, adding an extra layer of excitement to the experience,” notes the hotel.