Gastronomy Paris
Enrico Bernardo’s marvellous venture
By awarding a first star to the ‘Il Vino’ restaurant, Michelin has naturally chosen to acclaim the talent of a young chef, 31-year-old David Barilone, who has no shortage of references or professional experience. He has worked at the George V Hotel and was Sous-Chef at ‘Le Drouant’.
It was here that Enrico Bernardo sought him out in order to make him one of the pillars of this unprecedented venture.
David Barilone
www.ilvinobyenricobernardo.com
Everything leads us to believe too that the concept dreamed up by the ‘World’s Best Sommelier’ 2004 also counted a great deal in the decision made by the Michelin inspectors. Opened at the end of September last year in premises previously named ‘Chamarré’, a well-known address in the 7th district of Paris, there is effectively no equivalent of the establishment now owned by the Italian champion. And there is a good reason for this. If, as we highly recommend, you enter this restaurant to enjoy a meal, sweep your mind clear of all your usual references.
“In a restaurant, it’s always slightly difficult. In a very short time, you are asked to make lots of choices, starting with the aperitif, the menu or the dishes you would like to order and finally the wines you wish to select to accompany the meal. This often prevents communication between diners. So, rather than increasing the number of menus and lists, there is just one, and it is devoted to wines!”An extremely international selection in Paris
A selection served by the glass, enables customers’ choices to be oriented. If he selects the Mersault, ‘Le Limozin’ from Domaine Bouzereau as a starter (20 e), we will be able to propose a dish of pan-fried scallops served with sweet potatoes and parmesan juice. Dishes are changed regularly, so from one day to the next the suggestion varies. This suits Parisians, whose curiosity is heightened by the originality of this concept. “We intend to simplify their meal in an original way and they appreciate choices being made for them like this” insists the sommelier whose Parisian restaurant currently serves an average of 80 customers a day.
Customers also have the possibility of choosing a bottle of wine, which he or she will go and fetch from the cellar. The kitchen team, assisted by the sommelier, will concoct dishes suited to the type of wine chosen. The wine selection offers an extensive range from all over the world, which shows years of effort made by this professional who seeks out winegrowers and above all strives to find the most magnificent and unexpected wines. The quality and rareness of these bottles can push prices up. The ‘Blind tasting’ menu (starter, main course, cheese and dessert, with four wines to discover) costs 100 e; another menu, offering a seasonal theme and a selection of five wines, costs 250 e. Enrico Bernardo certainly makes a striking impression with his prestige menu… at 1 000 e.
Courchevel in winter and undoubtedly the Côte d’Azur in summer
This concept is also used at the second ‘Il Vino’, because Enrico Bernardo did not wait for Michelin’s acknowledgement before taking his own destiny in hand. At the beginning of December 2007, he established a second team in Courchevel. The well-known ski resort in Savoie welcomes a clientele with high purchasing power, likely to allow themselves to be tempted by a top-quality restaurant and most of all the possibility to discover a few of the finest wines produced in France’s winegrowing areas. The restaurant is situated very close to the slopes and unlike the selection chosen for ‘Il Vino’ in Paris, here Enrico Bernardo has essentially focussed on French wines. An investment of 300 000 Euros was made solely for wine purchases and these wines certainly possess every quality for charming an extremely international clientele.
He has also decided to reproduce an almost identical copy of the very pure, contemporary décor used for his Parisian restaurant. One wall is comprised of bottles on display and the main dining room, as well as the basement provide space for fifty or so covers.
“But I had to make some changes to the way we function. Here, customers are not able to go and choose bottles in the cellar. Sommeliers deal with this. We have also created a menu that includes a total of twenty starters, main courses and desserts for customers who would be rather too disorientated by our concept. However, we still propose our menus at 100 Euros, 250 Euros and 1 000 Euros.” This initial winter experience on the ski slopes will finish at the end of April and will begin again next December. Enrico’s ambition now is to structure his seasonal staff into a long-term team and if possible send them to the Mediterranean sun… Near Saint-Tropez or Monaco, where he thinks there is surely space for another version of ‘Il Vino’.
il Vino Paris
13, boulevard de la Tour Maubourg
75007 Paris
Tél. 01 44 11 72 00
Fax 01 44 11 72 01
il Vino Courchevel
La Porte de Courchevel 1850
73120 Saint-Bon Tarantaise
Tél. 04 79 08 29 62
