PRESS RELEASES
March 01, 2022
L’Écrin, the leading fine dining venue in Paris, is revealed in all its splendour. This twenty-seat gastronomic restaurant – the jewel of Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel – combines a refined setting and contemporary décor with a unique tasting experience. Michelin-starred Chef Boris Campanella and Pastry Chef Matthieu Carlin start by taking the wines selected by guests, on the informed recommendations of Head Sommelier Xavier Thuizat, and then collaborate together to produce a culinary feat for an epicurean delight.
Every evening sees new pairings and new sensations, creating a unique experience like no other, both in the dining room and in the kitchen. A menu that is perfectly mastered and orchestrated by Chef Boris Campanella, who creates pairings and combinations according to the guest’s wine selection, recommended by the hotel’s renowned oenologist, Xavier Thuizat. Each inventive, tailor-made menu is modelled on seasonality. An exercise in adaptation, innovation and on-the-spot instinct for the Michelin-starred Chef and Pastry Chef Matthieu Carlin. Here, the wines set the tone and rhythm for the entire evening. Each dish is presented as a delight to the palate, according to the highest standards of French service.
“Excellence, willingness and team spirit make the difference”, says Boris Campanella. Close affinity and complementary talents feature strongly in the creation of the menu. The knowledge and know-how of the Michelin-starred Chef combined with those of Xavier Thuizat and Matthieu Carlin work in harmony to concoct perfect pairings. With years of experience at some of the finest establishments, a high-precision performance is assured from this trio.
Before taking over the Hôtel de Crillon kitchens, the Savoyard chef, Boris Campanella, began the course of his career at Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, Maison Troisgros and Château de Candie, where his focus was firmly set on excellence. His priority is the produce, whether unusual or everyday, which he carefully selects with the seasons. His best-kept secret is his network of market gardeners and artisans, with whom he has long-standing relationships built on trust. He then creates a menu consisting of three, five or eight courses to generate surprise and emotion… inventing the perfect pairing where one of the four culinary worlds – be it plant or animal based, with the tang of the sea or the earthy taste of the land – will be counterbalanced perfectly with one of the 40,000 bottles from the wine cellar.
Xavier Thuizat gained eleven years’ experience as a sommelier in restaurants awarded three Michelin stars, before moving to Place de la Concorde at the age of 28 to become Head Sommelier at an ultra-luxe Parisian hotel. “Hôtel de Crillon is the quintessence of the French art de vivre that is the envy of the world”, he says.
Lastly, Matthieu Carlin developed his taste for sweet things over the course of a career that has included a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, such as Guy Savoie’s at Hôtel de la Monnaie in Paris, before joining Hôtel de Crillon.
With 40,000 bottles in the cellar and over 2,200 different labels, Xavier Thuizat has everything he needs to create a delightful surprise in the dining room and inspiration in the kitchen, for both Boris Campanella and Matthieu Carlin alike. This year, the ‘Legendary Winemaker Dinners’, accompanied by a selection of rare vintage wines, provide a new illustration to this three-part menu, where every note is played to perfection.
