One of the best gourmet restaurants I have ever been to is Semilla. When I think back at the dinner we had there in December, I instantly get lyrical again. It was so good that superlatives lack, there are just no words to descibe it. Still, I’m going to try anyway because I want to share this place with everyone who is traveling to Paris because we were blown away by the food and the service. This is really a place to put on your to-do-list!
The restaurant is located in Rue de Seine in the Saint Germain de Près area, which is a fun, lively neighbourhood with lots of bistros, boutiques and bars. Once you get of at the metro station Mabillon, it is only a 5-minute walk to the restaurant. The place is always packed (I heard) so you do need to make reservations.
The interior is stark with a mix of industrial and authentic French bistro with marble top tables, and French bistro chairs set against bare brick walls and thick heating pipes. The open kitchen offers guests a clear view of what’s cooking in the kitchen. The service is excellent. Although the menu is only in French, the waiter will translate the whole menu to you word for word. The main attraction that adds colour to the minimalist interior is the superb food.
The menu is balanced with many dishes to choose. Everything is made with fresh seasonal products and quality ingredients. The flavours are subtle, and you can just taste and feel (structure) that it is fresh and qualitative. The dishes are just the right size so you can try three courses. However they also offer 1/2 portions for some dishes. They also have a nice wine list with bio wine as well. Pure, and innovative would best descibe the dishes. They are absolutely pretty to look at with a lot of colour. Unfortunately I can’t repeat what I had exactly, but it was delicious! Pumpkin, parsnip, poultry, fish, everything was amazing. The menu changes regularly anyway. If you do anything on your next trip to Paris, go to Semilla!
photos taken with my iPhone
