Yes, that is the sound of corks popping at a new pop-up (say that three times fast). This summer, Moët & Chandon opened Le &, a pop-up restaurant at their historic L’Orangerie estate. Located in Epernay, north of Paris, Le & features cuisine by triple-Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alleno.
It’s the perfect stop if you’re in the neighborhood, say Paris, 2 hours away.
Moet & Chandon champagne is, of course, synonymous with celebration – graduations, promotions, weddings (and some divorces). But at Le &, Moët is taking it beyond best-man toasts. The focus of Moet is on the “&” – which highlights champagne’s pairing potential. And they’re not stopping at caviar and strawberries. Here, it’s dim sum with pork extract and fregola sarda with sea-scented shellfish, all matched with Moët bubbly.
A Series of Tastings
The Moet restaurant offers a series of menus to enhance the champagne experience. The 7 Salt Bar explores the effects of salinity on champagne via a variety of dishes, including oysters with cucumber. In the Cookooning Cellar, chefs in an open Molteni kitchen turn out pike terrine brioche and lobster with butter. The dish is designed to complement the Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection 1985. This special Moet champagne is a magnum from the house cellar. And at Delice Club, Alleno’s serves desserts with Grand Vintage 1999 and Imperial Rose wines.
To Finish the Night
Top off the evening at Moet in the Blind Shot Room, which literally removes all light and sound from the room. As Moët explains, this will help guests “heighten their senses of taste and smell… to focus on the sublime sparks that fly when champagne is married to gourmet cuisine.” A dark room, a French chateaux and unlimited champange? Sounds like other kinds of sparks will be flying too.
