Opened in October 2015, Mediterranean-style restaurant Le George joins the acclaimed Le Cinq and La Galerie as the latest culinary offering at Four Seasons Hotel George V, in Paris.
The new Le George restaurant overlooks the hotel’s Marble Courtyard and plans are in place for an Orangerie to be added in spring 2016. Five large windows looking onto the courtyard allow natural light to flood in, creating a bright, luminous space. The windows’ black metal framework underscores the architectural style of the restaurant, while grey cashmere curtains lend a light, soft touch, and the interlaced braided leather trimmings handmade by MTX resemble a leather sculpture.
The ivory-toned vaulted ceiling and oblique lighting accentuating its curves add a sense of openness to the space, over which hangs a Baccarat chandelier that is more than 2.5 metres (8 feet) high and nearly 2 metres (6.5 feet) wide. This sparkling crystal piece echoes the furnishings and fixtures conceived by the hotel’s interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon for the house of Lalique, a symbol of French-style luxury. The restaurant doors, with their black metal framework structuring the entrance, feature decorative crystal panels by Lalique.
The interiors gracefully fuse the George V’s signature classical style with a sense of timeless elegance. A large engraved mirror and luminous paper sculptures by artist Junior Fritz Jacquet adorn the panelled and padded-leather walls. Classical wall lamps, carpeting made from archive designs by the house of Braquenié, velvet- and damask-upholstered wing chairs and 1930s grey leather armchairs combine to create an altogether chic and authentic Parisian atmosphere.
Executive Chef at Le Cinq, Christian Le Squer, who currently supervises all of the Hotel’s dining outlets and who has held three Michelin stars for twelve consecutive years, has handed over the reins of Le George to Marco Garfagnini. Marco, who hails from Carrara in Tuscany, has created a balanced and healthy menu that offers light and modern Mediterranean-style food inspired by traditional cuisine; a journey between the French Riviera and northern Italy. There is a strong emphasis on fish and elegantly prepared flavoursome vegetables, which are complemented by a comprehensive choice of vegetarian dishes for health-conscious clientele.
The menu has been designed for sharing, with dishes available in half portions to encourage an interactive dining experience.
As Director of Le George, Quentin Garreau de Labarre ensures the smooth running of the restaurant. The sommelier, under the guidance of Éric Beaumard, Director of Le Cinq and an award-winning sommelier himself, recommends French wines from the George V wine cellar, as well as Italian, Spanish and Portuguese labels from a collection of more than 600 bottles.