• Ambience: Zen décor rounds out the clean Scandinavian lines of the small dining room. Twin sculptures and candles sit on each table. Picture windows allow views of the garden’s lush plants, granite sculpture and running water.
• Cuisine: The fresh-from-market concept revolves around the staples of haute cuisine: truffles, caviar, foie gras, oysters and sweatbreads. The pre-meal snack dish of dried ham, homemade mini-sausages, olives and a spectacular black mayonnaise hints at the delights to come.
• The menu: The ample choices are each presented in three words: one starter is described simply as “foie gras-raspberry-sorbet” and a main course as “veal-chanterelle-potato.” Each listing piques curiosity about what Hallal has dreamed up.
• Drinks: The wine list is extensive but not cumbersome. Best bet is to trust the chef’s wine pairings, which matches up each chosen dish with the perfect glass. Then enjoy an after-dinner drink outside in the splendid garden.
