Alcazar - Pricy glamour on the Rive Gauche

Where do you take a posh American friend who comes to Paris to celebrate his birthday? Acazar is an option to take into account. I was a bit nervous when I had to pick the place: the guests were flying in from all over the world (Chicago, Florence, Madrid and Barcelona), so it had to turn out well. I have been here just for a few weeks, so I am really no expert about this city, but after a few consultations with my local friends, I found the right place.

Alcazar is a very glamourous and design-oriented restaurant, which is not surprising, as it is owned by the British design guru Terence Conran. Meals and cocktails are served in a stylish environment with a soft and intimate lighting by a super efficient team of waiters in a black monochromatic outfit. Personally, I am a huge fan of understated places that privilege content over form, but I was not disappointed by the experience. It's true, the space is very big and a bit loud, and the menu is not extremely creative, but the buzzy atmosphere of Alcazar was just perfect for our party mood.

The cuisine is what you would call fusion/international, although no dish stands out as truly innovative. You can opt for the luxury version of Brit classics like fish and chips or poached eggs, or give your dinner an exotic Latin American touch with a fresh fish ceviche. There are several traditional French brasserie dishes, like the entrecôte, veal kidneys, poultry with vegetables and mushrooms and, of course, a couple of revisited Italian starters, (mozzarella with tomatoes and pesto and the rocket salad with Parmesan). I went for a light vegetable salad for starter, followed by Scottish salmon sashimi with guacamole sauce. Maybe not a groundbreaking culinary invention, but I was very satisfied with the quality of all the ingredients. Speaking of which: they have the best baguette bread, which they serve copiously in wicker baskets.

Alcazar includes two spaces, each on a different level, with slightly different concepts. Apart from the restaurant, on ground level, there is a cocktail and snack bar on the upper floor, called The Mezzanine. Here you can opt for a more frugal -and less pricy- meal, with a fixed price menu including a dish and a glass of wine.

Alcazar

Rue Mazarine, 62 – Paris

Phone: +33 1 53 10 19 99  

Price range (restaurant): 70€-100€. The price depends crucially on wine (more than usual).