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Restaurants
Our verdict on Don Juan II: the star-spangled table on the stage
Frédéric Anton creates an exquisite menu aboard an intimate yacht, for a gastronomic cruise through Paris.
Paris on the Seine
Just a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, another monument awaits its diners. Moored at Port Debilly, Don Juan II is unlike any other gourmet restaurant in Paris. And with good reason: it sails on the Seine. In the evening, this barge with its Art Deco charm - dark lacquered woodwork, thick carpeting, Pierre Frey fabrics - welcomes its passengers with a glass of champagne on deck, then gently casts off and begins its crossing. The Seine becomes a stage, Paris is seen from the water, and monuments are seen in the twilight.
The show is total, down to the smallest detail: Édith Piaf or Henri Salvador in the background, crew in livery... In the dining room, some thirty guests savor a unique moment, an escapade lasting just over two hours, punctuated by the precision of a service orchestrated to the millimeter. The wide-spaced tables and the various spaces that can be used to separate the largest tables of lovers offer the lovebirds all the intimacy they need to enjoy the moment.
Anton's rigor
At the helm of this gastronomic cruise is Frédéric Anton. Meilleur Ouvrier de France, three-starred chef at Le Pré Catelan, chef at Le Jules Verne until 2023, he imposes a classic, demanding and perfectly executed signature. A five-course menu, orchestrated with the support of his on-board chef Gabin Bordelais.
The 1-Michelin-starred dinner begins as we pass the Île Saint-Louis, with the chef's signature dish, lobster à la vanille, topped with a tangy "zéphyr" (meaning mist) of Granny Smith apple. The wine pairing hits the nail on the head with a Graves (Château Haut Selve 50% sauvignon blanc / 50% sémillon) that expands as it opens up and finds the vanilla.
This is followed by green asparagus mousse and spring onion flan, seasoned with nutmeg. The highlight of the menu is the langoustine raviole, wrapped in a gold leaf jelly and set on a parmesan cream. The perfectly pearly, almost melt-in-the-mouth langoustine contrasts with the salty, slightly tangy grain of the cheese. In the glass, a buttery Mâconnais Chardonnay with brioche notes naturally echoes the parmesan. Next comes a more classic suprême de volaille jaune et morille (yellow poultry supreme with morel mushrooms), followed by dessert, a Valrhona 60% chocolate soufflé with Iranian pistachio ice cream. Very lightly sweetened - only 150 grams of vergeoise for 15 kilos of preparation - it seduces with its intensity and lightness.
Prices? Single 5-course menu at €250 excluding drinks.
What's important to remember?
Everything here is meticulous. The cuisine is classic but never staid. The setting is spectacular but never ostentatious. We dine with foreign couples, curious Parisians and elegant tourists, and emerge from this interlude with the Eiffel Tower glittering at 10 p.m. sharp.
Don Juan II
5 Port Debilly, 75016 Paris
01 83 77 44 40
donjuan2.yachtsdeparis.fr