Having a couple days to explore before we needed to be in Bordeaux for the race, we decided to visit Versailles. Yes, this is an easy day trip from Paris, but wanting to relax before the marathon, we decided to stay in Versailles, which also gave us a chance to explore more of the grounds without worrying about trains. We chose the Trianon Palace Versailles to rest our heads, which happens to have a two Michelin Starred restaurant–Gordon Ramsay–we couldn’t pass up.
Artboy and I dined at the Chef’s Table with two friends who live in Paris. Not only was the food beyond any expectations, but the company was perfect for the experience. It is always better to share food with friends than eat alone. Back to those expectations: we’ve eaten at Gordon Ramsay restaurants before, and I will say as Executive Chef, Simone Zanoni has interjected just the right amount of his personality and heritage into Chef Ramsay’s vision. We knew our Chef’s Table experience would be fun and tasty, but we didn’t expect the heights the food, both visually and flavorwise, and wine would take.
Amuse Bouche at Gordon Ramsay Trianon
I didn’t snap a photo of the amuse Bouche before tasting, but the one I did catch lets you see the tartare in the cone. It was a trio of tomatoes and I braved both rashes and disgust to try them all. Whatever magic was created, it mostly didn’t taste like rotten milk (the flavor of tomato to me) to me and everyone else seemed rather pleased.
From there we were served a smokey concoction that delighted in sight and flavor, and by smokey, I mean a delicate fog rolled across the entire piano shaped tabled as the lid was lifted. One of the dessert was also served in a similar manner bookending our meal. The highlight was by far the risotto finished tableside in a giant block of Parmesan cheese.
Our sommelier chose some surprise wines for us, but most importantly he marked our marathon map with a star rating for the wineries to let us know where we should stop and could skip if we needed more time. This was a one full day stop at Versailles before heading south and it turned out to be one of the trip highlights.
