Restaurant Reviews: Le Drugstore, An All-New Look and Menu in Paris

Now, though, this legendary space has been given a brilliant new décor by British designer Tom Dixon, who perfectly understood how to accentuate and update the retro charm of the place. There’s also a superb new menu by chef Éric Fréchon, who holds three Michelin stars at the Hôtel Le Bristol and runs two of the city’s best brasseries: Le Mini Palais and Lazare.

Le Drugstore. Photo: Yann Deret

“My idea was to create a menu of healthy but tempting modern comfort dishes that would appeal to different ages, appetites, nationalities and wallets,” explains Fréchon. He’s succeeded wonderfully, too, since the menu is cleverly divided between dishes that are “cru” (raw) and “cuit” (cooked). So you can opt for a starter like red tuna tartare with avocado purée followed by a main course of beef carpaccio with white radish and soy sauce, or roasted cauliflower with curry oil, and a Kagoshima A5 Wagyu beef steak for two from Japan. Other excellent dishes include the ‘burger’ made from ground prawns, the fried chicken with Cajun sauce, and a brilliant feather-weight riff on a traditional cheesecake for dessert. Since this address is open daily and serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, it’s an ideal place to bear in mind when you want a good casual off-the-cuff feed with some real gastronomic interest.

Le Drugstore, 133 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 8th arrondissement; +33 (0)1 44 43 77 64. Average dinner for two €100. www.publicisdrugstore.com

From France Today magazine

Éric Fréchon has created a menu of modern comfort food