Are food and cocktail pairings a winning bet for restaurants? 9 addresses to try out this autumn!

Alcohol, water, coffee, tea, soft drinks... beverages are not to be taken lightly in culinary offerings. Their recipes, modes and times of consumption are constantly evolving. They can be enjoyed on their own, but their function is also to enhance dishes and enhance their taste ambitions. The harmonious choice of a beverage and a dish is not trivial, and is honored in food and beverage pairings.

The gustatory compatibility of certain ingredients is no longer in doubt. Witness the birth of "food-pairing" in 2007, a scientific method first conceptualized by Indonesian-born chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre. It involves identifying the best combinations of foods, based on their fragrance and chemical composition. This approach allows us to create new combinations of flavors, textures and colors, always surprising our guests and providing them with memorable culinary experiences. Great chefs from all over the world, such as English chef Heston Blumenthal made famous with his spectacular caviar-white chocolate pairing, have made a name for themselves with these new recipes.[caption id="attachment_7183" align="aligncenter" width="810"]

Chef Heston Blumenthal, source: WalesOnline[/caption]Food-pairing also encompasses the artof perfectly coordinating food and drink. This principle is quite old, dating back to the 20th century, when French gastronomy was taught in hotel schools. Traditionally, the idea was to match a dish with a wine. In fact, with the development of separate course service at the end of the 19th century, the search for a gustatory alliance between the dish presented and the wine served became one of the principles of traditional French gastronomy. Wine and food pairing has become a way of life, as evidenced by the existence of wine and food adviceapplications.

Have you ever heard two people arguing over the choice of wine, based on the composition of the dish being tasted? In fact, it's generally accepted that fish and seafood are best served with a dry white wine, that the famous foie gras is best served with a mellow white wine, and that cheese is best served with a red wine.

Today, only 1 in 2 customers consume an alcoholic beverage in CHR (cafés, hotels, restaurants). Many lunchtime diners refuse the wine list to stay productive and clear-headed on the job. In the evening, however, the curve is not reversed: customers may refuse to order alcohol for reasons of safety (getting back on the road after a meal), religion or health. Nor are all individuals fond of or greedy for alcohol. But for all these people, the alternatives to alcohol are often limited. The frustration of customers faced with the meagre choice of a water syrup, soda, sparkling water or fruit juice can be very great, especially during the summer and festive periods when alcohol is still very much associated with relaxation and celebration. Faced with this reality, restaurants are striving to offer new, more elaborate and sophisticated soft drinks, or to accompany the beverages most consumedDrinks are taking on real importance in the restaurant business. Changing consumption patterns have led to adaptations and innovations in restaurant offerings. Dishes can now be paired with tea, coffee, sake, spirits, beer or cocktails, with or without alcohol. Wine is no longer always the star accompaniment. There are no more rules: coffee is no longer associated with the end of a meal, tea with a snack or cocktails with a party.

Today's favorite food-drink pairing is the met-cocktail. Why is the cocktail the winning choice for food and beverage pairing? As bartender Thomas Girard explains, "unlike wine, which is the work of a winemaker, a cocktail allows you to invent a drink tailored to a specialty". In other words, the cocktail is a unique drink adapted to the food to be served with it. In addition, cocktails can be offered with or without alcohol, usually referred to as mocktails. Last but not least, cocktails can be served with any type of food, from sweet to savoury, and can be served alongside a starred meal or an afterwork bar on the terrace. In fact, as Mickaël Guidot, author of the book "Les cocktails c'est par sorcier", points out, cocktails "require more preparation than opening a bottle of wine, but they broaden the aromatic spectrum: you can go from bitter to floral, from salty to sweet, or even add smoky notes ".

Cocktails are therefore the perfect choice to kick-start your food and beverage pairings, and if you're still not convinced, we've got the food and cocktail pairings you won't want to miss at the start of the new school year!

1. The pioneer and essential Dersou

Japanese chef Taku Sekine was the first to experiment with met-cocktail pairing in his Parisian restaurant Dersou. Accompanied byhis mixologist Amaury Guyot, he extends the culinary experience with cocktails, which he presents as a veritable seasoning for his recipes. There are three menus to choose from. You can enjoy a minimum of 5 dishes accompanied by 5 different cocktails, and a maximum of 7 liquids carefully thought out to match the tasting of 7 different recipes. Beyond the drink and the cuisine, it's the presentation and the tableware that contribute to the pairing experience, since the container changes with each service. What's more, the food and cocktail pairings are renewed daily! To whet your appetite, here's a description of a suggested pairing: Iberian pig with Asian-seasoned quinoa, coriander and peanuts, matched with its drink of peated whisky, port and reduced orange juice.

2. Clover Grill, the meat and cocktail pairing

Clover Grill is the carnivorous restaurant of Jean-François Piège and his wife. Here, they offer you quality meat in all its forms: raw, braised, smoked, roasted, grilled... And while we traditionally associate red meat with a good glass of wine, the two hosts have chosen to turn conventions on their head by offering an unbeatable choice of delicious cocktails, with or without alcohol. They offer cocktails to suit your every whim, using seasonal ingredients that always marry perfectly with the Chef's recipes. A case in point is the grilled duck foie gras terrine from the Landes region, accompanied by a succulent Bloody Love Me with tomato.

3. Fanfan, the Franco-Asian agreements

In this French-Asian gourmet restaurant, which opened in early May, the met-cocktail pairing is also in the spotlight. Here, Taiwanese-born bartenders John and Michaël devise cocktails based on sake, Japanese whiskies and fresh fruit to accompany the recipes of Chef Julien Burbaud, a former Top Chef contestant. You won't find food and cocktail pairings à la carte; in fact, for a harmonious combination, the Taiwanese mixologists meet with the Chef every morning to think up and create or choose the drinks that will sublimate the lunch and dinner dishes.To showcase these unique cocktails in the capital, Fanfan's bar is open to all. Friends can come and discover the Asian version of the "Negronie", made with Japanese gin infused with rice and Oolong tea. Some opt for the "Adieu ma concubine" cocktail, served with a rice cake and surprisingly flavored with fragrant rice. In addition to these restaurants, others have branched out into cocktail bars, offering unique sharing plates that will delight those who like sophisticated, elaborate snacks.

4. Bonhomie, the alliance of southern recipes

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Source: http://www.barstalker.de[/caption]Bonhomie is truly renewing the traditional mixed plank-red wine aperitif. It offers cocktails with original flavors for afterworks with a twist. At Bonhomie, we recommend drinks that are out of the ordinary and formulas to share. The menu evolves with the seasons, offering a fine blend of Mediterranean and Oriental recipes. Nicolas Pla Gomez, the chef, is at the center of the culinary proposal, and his dishes are surprising and daring, as evidenced by the roasted cauliflower accompanied by börek, a cheese bread with kombi.

5. Uma, the Nikkei food pairing

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Source : So many Paris[/caption]Uma is a cocktail bar. Nevertheless, its guests can't leave without tasting the Japanese and Peruvian recipes on the menu. You're invited to sample a delicious cocktail, such as the Umartini/Gin made with gin, vermouth and herb-infused olive oil, followed by a savory dish to share, such as Gyozas with Peking duck, ceviche or tacos! The sweet and savory combinations are subtle and sophisticated.

6. Carbon and its Mina, the cocktail bar restaurant

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Source: Sophia Vandenhoek[/caption]Le Carbon is a restaurant with a cocktail bar on the first floor, called La Mina. Located on rue Charlot, the concept of this restaurant is also to combine cocktails with the sharing of tasty dishes. Diners can easily sip a gourmet cocktail such as a Hokusai with blue seaweed and dried ink, paired with a dish prepared by Swedish chef David Kjelstenius, such as the 1.3 kg rib-eye steak for meat lovers, or the butternut, faisselle, noisette for the hungry.

7. Mabel, the rum snack bar

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Source: TripAdvisor[/caption]Mabel is a cocktail bar specializing in spirits. The focus is on recipes based on rums from all over the world. It's still a great place to sip cocktails and nibble on a snack.Forthose with a sweet tooth, food and cocktail pairings are also featured in the pastry bars for a 100% sweet experience.

8. Les Commères, the sweet assortment

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Source: Jumpin'Paris[/caption]Les Commères is one of the capital's first pastry bars. Conceived by Adèle Doublet, this cradle of sweets develops sophisticated, colorful cocktails to accompany her equally sophisticated sweet creations. The drinks are often made with an exceptional strong alcohol blended with fruity, floral or even spicy aromas, as in the "MJ", which is composed of vodka, raspberry purée, lychee, rosewater and blue espuma. Indeed, Adèle even confides that the creation of her divine beverages contributes to the creation of new pastries to accompany them.

9.the latest from Privé de Dessert

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Source : Sortir à Paris[/caption]The new address of the famous Privé de Dessert concept will soon open its dessert bar in the Batignolles district. After two restaurants with unusual trompe-oeil concepts, this new establishment will open its doors in mid-September. The promise of this newcomer is toenchant aperitifs with a healthy dose of sugar. Following in the footsteps of Privé de Dessert restaurants, the cocktail pairing will be sensational and, above all, unique.On the menu, you'll find pastry cocktails strangely reminiscent of famous pastries such as lemon tart, tiramisu and strawberry. These delicious liquids are of course accompanied by a snack that looks salty but tastes 100% sweet! Enjoy a charcuterie board featuring delicious chocolate sausage, salami with pink pralines or chocolate almond olives. Cocktails, whether sweet or savoury, strong or non-alcoholic, are all the rage, and many restaurateurs have caught on. They are one of the few drinks that can be made to order, either at the request of a guest, or to perfectly match the flavours of a dish.