Paul Bocuse

Paul Bocuse Review

Parisians hop the TGV to dine at this culinary shrine in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, then snooze back to the capital. Whether Bocuse—who kick-started the "new" French cooking back in the 1970s and became a superstar in the process—is here or not, the legendary black-truffle soup in pastry crust he created in 1975 to honor President Giscard d'Estaing will be. So will the frogs'-leg soup with watercress, the green bean-and-artichoke salad with foie gras, or the Bresse wood-pigeon "tripled": drumstick in puff pastry with young cabbage, breast roasted and glazed in cognac, and an aromatic dark pâté of the innards. For a mere €220 per person, the Menu Grand Tradition Classique includes the truffle soup and the volaille de Bresse truffée en vessie "Mère Fillioux" (Bresse hen cooked in a pig bladder with truffles) comes to the table looking something like a basketball—the bladder is removed and discarded revealing a poached chicken within. Like the desserts, the grand dining room is done in traditional style. Call ahead if you want to find out whether Bocuse will be cooking, and book far in advance.