In 2013, Guerlain reimagined one of its iconic boutiques at number 68 on Les Champs-Élysées. The famous Parisian label hired American architect and interior designer Peter Marino to bring a sophisticated and cosmopolitan twist to its flagship store in the City of Light.
Marino added a new look to the boutique and created a beautiful restaurant inside the shop. It features the invaluable collaboration of two great talents: French cuisine darling, Guy Martin, and Thierry Wasser, Guerlain´s master perfumer.
The restaurant plays homage to good taste steeped in serenity and silence. With a restrained décor, this elegant atmosphere boasts stunning Baccarat chandeliers and carefully selected contemporary accents.
Designed by Peter Dayton, the printed tables at the Le 68 evoke peonies, lilies, ylang-ylang, and jonquils—flowers used by Guerlain in its famous perfumes. Lison de Caunes, granddaughter of the famous art deco artist, André Groult, dressed the walls with delicate straw marquetry. This dining room is a bastion of relaxation, and it ‘s hard to imagine that just a few steps away is one of the busiest boulevards in Paris.
However, a beautiful restaurant would be just a meaningless space without excellent food. At the helm of the kitchen is one of the best French chefs of the moment, Guy Martin, a culinary artist with three Michelin stars. Martin is also a Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Officer of the Legion of Honor.
(L) Thierry Wasser; (R) Chef Guy Martin.
With the help of perfumer Thierry Wasser, the chef recreates a series of sophisticated dishes of high visual beauty–and even better taste–in which perfume and scents are essential parts of the culinary fabric. Vanilla, licorice, cinnamon, jasmine, rosemary and bergamot play a role in many of Martin’s dishes. Some of them have already become favorites among Parisian gourmands. The foie gras vol-au-vent with Madagascar vanilla, and the cod wrapped in licorice are included in a tasting menu that combines flavors and fragrances as the incarnation of Guerlain’s mythical universe. ■
