Pascal Barbot and Christophe Rohat opened the restaurant in 2000 after leaving their posts as sous chef and front-of-the-house manager, respectively, at Alain Passard's L'Arpege. And I think L'Astrance is a great example of how the students trumps the master. I personally enjoyed our dinner at L'Astrance a whole lot more than our dinner at L'Arpege.

L'Astrance in Paris's 16th arrondissement has already won three Michelin stars and they are ranked 38 on Pellegrinos list over the best restaurants in the world. It's notably hard to get a table here, as it seats just 26, but it's definitely worth the effort.

We were offered the menu and it only had two options. Dinner Astrance and Dinner Astrance with wine pairings. I went with the wine pairing option. They were able to accommodate my wife being vegan, and served one of the best vegan meals she have had so far.

The first official course was Chef’s signature dish, a foie gras and French mushroom galette. Thin slices of mushrooms and green apple were layered neatly with cuts of raw foie gras. On the side was a bit of hazelnut oil and preserved lemon curd. Dishes in which foie gras are featured front and center can rarely be described as light, fresh, and bouncy, but this one truly was. The second course was a tremendous vegetable broth with raw blue belly tuna. It was extremely crips and flavorful. It felt that there was a lot of Asian fusion going on in this dish but it was fantastic.

The next course was my favorite, it was a great mackerel, with fresh seaweed and a miso paste. Everything melted together into a perfect combination. Top score and a dish to remember for a long time.

The following two course were great but not spectacular. An interesting green soup and a chili crab mic topped by a pasta disc and mango. The chili crab mix was very flavorful and the mango on top give it very nice finish.

After this I was served lamb, cooked to perfection and very flavorful. This was followed by one of the best pigeons that i have ever had. Perfectly cooked, bright red, and with tremendous depth and complexity.

What about my wife's vegan alternatives. According to her, they were all very good. Her favorite was the pressed eggplant on a bed of white beans with a miso glace.  She was completely blown away by this course , and somehow it was cooked so it almost reminded us about foie gras. Food art from world class chefs.

The desserts were all great. I specifically loved the raspberry tart, which was very smooth with tangy berry flavors and a creaminess that I cant wait until I taste again.
In addition to the foie gras and mushroom galette, Chef is known for his ginger, chili pepper, and lemongrass sorbet. We were all impressed by the sorbet’s legitimate spiciness.

We had a great time at L’Astrance. Even though we didn’t have any say as to what was served, every course possessed flavors and ingredients that excited our palates. The service was impeccable, the wines selected was different and interesting. At several occasions I wasn't sure about the wine, but when paired with the food I could really see what the sommelier was going for. It is an incredible feeling when a wine transforms right in front of you when paired with food.
I was impressed with the technique apparent and the appetizing, vivid arrangements on the plate. I also appreciate the attentiveness to detail. I truly recommend dining at L'Astrance.