LE CLARENCE, A CALM MOMENT IN PARIS
words by MARIE-PAULINE CESARI
photography by MAKI MANOUKIAN
Going to Le Clarence during Fashion Week felt like stepping out of the noise for a moment. Hidden inside a 19th-century hôtel particulier in the Golden Triangle, the restaurant feels more like a beautiful home than a classic fine-dining spot. Everything is calm, warm, and understated. In the middle of a very busy Paris, it truly felt like a pause.
This year, Le Clarence starts a new chapter with chef Andrea Capasso. Italian by birth and Parisian by heart, he has been part of the restaurant for six years, which makes his arrival as executive chef feel very natural. Nothing feels forced or overly new — his cooking simply continues the story of the place. As he explains: “For me, Le Clarence’s heritage is also my own. I have been here for six years, and even though the house has existed for ten years, I grew up alongside it. Today, I see my cuisine as a natural continuation of that story.”
The meal flowed easily, without ever feeling heavy. We started with yellowtail and kiwi, fresh and light, followed by scallops with gwell and beetroot — simple, precise, and full of flavour. The line-caught pollock with kabocha squash and kumquat was comforting but still very clean. Every dish felt focused on the ingredient itself, with a real sense of balance and care. For Capasso, “everything begins with respect for the product,” and it shows.
Land-and-sea pairings, which are part of Le Clarence’s identity, are handled with a lot of delicacy. Nothing clashes, nothing tries too hard. The cooking feels calm and confident, guided by repetition and precision rather than show.
Dessert kept the same mood. The buckwheat blossom with brut cider namelaka was light and subtle, while the chestnut and apple tagliatelle with vanilla felt soft and comforting — the kind of dessert you enjoy slowly, without thinking too much.
What stayed with me most was how the meal made me feel. Capasso talks about cooking as a way “to restore,” and that’s exactly it. I left Le Clarence feeling relaxed, taken care of, and already wanting to come back.