‘I cut, shell, cook, season, braise, and flambé. I have a special feel for vegetables, overwhelmed by their colour and fragrance.’ The attention that Alain Passard gives to vegetables goes beyond traditional cooking. The chef works with each product from his vegetable garden to enhance the flavour. Comparable to the works of a musical composer, his dishes play on notes and variations of infinite flavours. His eloquently named restaurant ‘L’Arpege’ (‘arpeggio’) is a temple of French gastronomy, where tasting food is an art. Popular in all the guides, the restaurant avoids an upscale, flashy decor so as not to intimidate clients. The emphasis is rather on conviviality and discretion in order to put the emphasis on what is most important: the meal. Attentive service and outstanding wine list.