How about this for a bit of a blockbuster evening: on Wednesday 16th April, two of Europe’s most famous and talented chefs of — Yannick Alléno (holder of a staggering 15 Michelin stars), and the legendary Raymond Blanc OBE, Chef Patron of the two Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons — are collaborating to offer an unforgettable evening of modern French gastronomy. It is safe to say this does not happen very often.
The evening is hosted at Alléno ‘s Mayfair restaurant Pavyllon London, which is part of the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, and promises diners a front-row seat at the counter, where they will have the unique opportunity to engage and meet these two culinary icons while experiencing their artistry up close. They describe it as a celebration of craftsmanship, innovation, and the enduring legacy of French cuisine, and to be fair it does promise to be a night like no other.
This unique event is part of Pavyllon’s Counter-Culture series which sees Yannick Alléno and the restaurant’s head chef, Benjamin Ferra Y Castell, invite some of the UK’s best chefs to join them at their impressive kitchen counter. The four-hands dinners are part of Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane’s 55th anniversary celebrations, with more top collaborations to be announced for 2025.
As you can see below, Messrs Alléno and Blanc have designed a six-course menu whereby Yannick Alléno’s plates spotlight premium ingredients and sauces using his famous extraction and cryoconcentration techniques whilst Raymond Blanc’s dishes are inspired by seasonality and purity of ingredients. Together, they present a masterful fusion of French gastronomy with bold, innovative twists.
Now for the inevitable punchy part: the Yannick Alléno x Raymond Blanc Counter-Culture Dinner is priced at £350pp including a specially sommelier-selected wine pairing. It’s a lot, but for food and wine for this kind of an evening, I don’t think that is unreasonable. You can certainly easily spend half as much in the West End for some pretty indifferent food and wine.
You can book your seat for this extraordinary dining experience here: https://www.pavyllonlondon.com/event/counter-culture-raymond-blanc/, with bookings available from 7pm.
And if you want to go but cannot make 16th April then note that Yannick Alléno will be heading to Raymond’s acclaimed Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxford for a special four-hands lunch on 9th July. Find our more information here.
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