Some people say it's better to eat dessert first, or risk otherwise being too full by the end of the meal to even try one. This entirely new concept restaurant is solving your problem, here you only order desserts. As appetizer, main course, and (drum roll) dessert! In the capital of fine food and serious cuisine, the idea seems like a joke, but has become quite popular since this recent opening.
Of course, not everything on the menu is with sugar. In fact, the ingenious use of vegetables in the recipes will have you eat some you would never have tried otherwise, such as beetroot with white chocolate, cranberry compote, and bergamot sorbet. A nice way to have you eat your beets. Another treat is the clementine and quince compote, with hot wine sorbet and coriander foam. Well, my grandma used to make quince jelly, to help us with our digestive tracts she said (and she did not call it so nicely), and I swore off quince a long time ago.
But it's not all sweet and sugared. An unusual mix of pear, roots and Greek yoghurt has a white wine recommendation to be paired with. Another dish of lime, litchi, ginger and grapefruit can be had with litchi juice, and certainly sounds refreshing. And of course the smoked baked Alaska is on the menu, for the real sweet tooth aficionados, and comes with a twist, as it is spectacularly flambé with Japanese whisky. Note: in France, a baked Alaska is called a Norwegian omelet, or une omelette norvégienne - still comes from the cold!
Each dessert is offered with a specific choice of two drinks, with or without alcohol, and includes juices, wines, and teas. A lot of the food creations center on pears and apples, such as the mâche salad with macadamia nuts, wasabi, pear sorbet and pear the fruit, marinated in marjoram.
Here you won't find the typical French cakes and petits fours such as éclairs, religieuses, tarts, and other pastries you would buy in a bakery; this is a new way to eat ordinary foods, but in a gastronomic rendering and a very inventive way. And for those wondering, no, Marie-Antoinette never said that (infamous phrase.)
Restaurant Dessance, 74 rue des Archives, in the 3rd arrondissement; tel: +33-1- 4277- 2352. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; open 3-11 p.m. weekdays, and 12 p.m.-12 a.m weekends. Métro stop Filles du Calvaire. Two menus are offered, one small and one large, $26 (€19) and $49 (€36.)
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.