Can food and art mix? We bravely sat down to lunch to find out…


Of course not every meal can be a work of art, but perhaps a work of art can accompany a meal? That’s the idea behind Ze Kitchen Galerie (what a mouthful of franglais that is!). The restaurant is full, perhaps too full, of modern art that is supposed to wow you as much as the food. Now modern art is a personal taste, and we didn’t really like it much; very much time-warped from the 80s, we thought.

However, the service was quick and friendly (without the fake perma-smile you so often get in restaurants at this price), and the food turned out to be rather inventive. We skipped the first course and jumped straight into the main course (an obvious tactic that is supposed to leave room for dessert!!). The “grilled mackerel, green mango condiment, potato and watercress” was deliciously zesty and beautifully presented. I’m usually wary of ordering fish with its skin on like this, but it turned out to be well-cooked so that it practically melted under my knife.


The “scallops with lemongrass, limequat confit, sweet potato croquettes and coriander” added an extra 4 euros onto the bill, but it was worth it. The combination of crunchy and soft was wonderful, and if you’re wondering, a limequat is a cross between a lime and a kumquat. Interesting!

Dessert didn’t disappoint either, and both had unusual combinations of sweet and savoury. The “vanilla and chestnut soup, with dates, quince, chestnuts and pepper emulsion” was creamy and challenged out tastebuds to pick out all the flavours. But for me the “white chocolate ice cream with pistachio juice, wasabi and green tea sauce” was the winner. I love wasabi, and – believe it or not – I’d never had it with white chocolate ice cream before. An amazing combination that I really enjoyed.


Ze Kitchen Galerie isn’t the cheapest restaurant in town, but for the food they serve it could be more expensive. Going for lunch is a good idea if you want to limit the damage (a two- or three-course meal costs 27 or 36 euros), and booking is essential – when we were there they were turning people away… As for the art, we suggest you wear sunglasses to save your retinas… 😉

Ze Kitchen Galerie, 4 rue des Grands-Augustins, Paris 6th arrondissement. Métro Saint Michel (line 4, RER lines B & C). Tel. +33 (0)1 44 32 00 32

You can check out our full Flickr gallery of Ze Galerie here!

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