Review

Philippe Peretti’s tribute to traditional French cuisine flourishes after over twenty-five years in the city. Opening in 1998, he began as a pioneer and continues to stay true to his culinary and service principles, offering premium ingredients in dishes resonating with authenticity and executed with precision. Visiting Philippe is always a special occasion, the service staff smiling and attentive and the extensive menu dotted with familiar classics. Upon arrival, a basket of homemade bread arrives with an array of butters. Begin with pan-fried earthy girolles in a creamy sauce, topped with a soft-boiled egg or a delicate fillet of salmon trout in ivory sauce, dotted with caviar. Alternatively, a perfectly roasted scallop bathed in herb butter or the elegant Philippe signature of duck liver pasta with morels and ceps. Continue with juicy tenderloin coated with café de Paris butter, several tasty lamb noisettes with mint jus, both faultless. Be it a rustic veal chop or a stylish Brittany sole, all dishes have a commonality: consistency. This is the most important element contributing to a restaurant’s sustaining success over decades. The wine list is comprehensive, French-heavy, with bargains always available by glass and bottle on a quaint tabletop tent card. Complete your trip to France with a peach melba or a platter of the best cheeses.