Restaurant at Plaza Athénée

Serving as a link between the history of the Plaza Athénée and this new restaurant, the service carts have also been redesigned. Created from the existing base, this elegant piece is a particularly traditional element of the world of fine dining. A touch of humor and whimsy has been added to give it a certain lightness: white spoked tires typically found on bicycles. The entire technical component, the trays, has been redesigned in stainless steel, while the silver cloche has been preserved in its original state.

The back wall opens to reveal the chef’s treasure trove, a cabinet of curiosities that uses objects to illustrate a masterful history of the art of fine dining. Combining pieces from Alain Ducasse’s personal collection with items selected from France’s leading manufacturers, such as Christofle and Saint-Louis, this treasure chest is designed to spark conversation and enhance the restaurant’s sense of wonder. Lit to complement the light from the screens, this cabinet of curiosities is revealed only for the ADPA restaurant, as in the morning its contents are concealed by one-way mirrors.

In front of the tables, the armchairs—manufactured in Italy by Poliform—feature skate-shaped legs that glide silently across the floor. The leather seat shells enclose plush cushions, designed for optimal seating comfort.

The tables, central elements of the dining experience, are left unfinished. They invite guests to run their fingertips over the rare materials used: solid oak for the tabletop, leather covering the underside of the tabletop, and stainless steel. The authenticity of these carefully selected materials stands on equal footing with the excellence of the dishes prepared by Alain Ducasse. The raw oak reveals its grain and history, thanks to the talent of the cabinetmakers at Rinck, and transports guests into a new era of Michelin-starred dining, where clean lines and simplicity are matched only by the refinement of every detail.

Upon entering the restaurant, one is greeted by monumental polished stainless steel bells that reflect the pendants of the ceiling chandelier—the only remaining traces of the restaurant’s original design prior to the renovation. These oversized, striking shells form the backs of the benches where guests sit, or the screens that enclose the tables and armchairs, crafted by Meilleur Ouvrier de France artisans from the companies Matinox and Le Floch: a clever and elegant reinterpretation of the traditional serving bell.

A striking wooden alcove houses a unique table: here, guests receive special service and enjoy greater privacy. 

The exterior of the raw wood alcove, composed of lightly treated, curved oak slats, is reminiscent of the hulls of fishing boats. Like a micro-architecture within the space, it dramatizes the presence of wood in the decor and reveals the project’s ambivalence, straddling refined simplicity and elegant authenticity. The interior of the alcove combines a leather bench with a shell featuring an unexpected motif: the imprint in the plaster of the restaurant’s old screens, which once displayed close-ups of embroidered vegetables. Like ghosts from the past, their stylized traces remain ever-present.