The Princess Gourmet Tour of Paris continues today to the reverent place for canard à la presse. Also known as pressed duck, it is a traditional French dish that is known for its unique and elaborate preparation, particularly associated with the Parisian restaurant La Tour d’Argent.

History of La Tour d’Argent

This Michelin-starred restaurant lays claim to being one of the oldest restaurant in the world. The story of La Tour d’Argent (or “The Silver Tower”) started in 1582, allegedly on the banks of the River Seine. Their speciality is the pressed duck, which was traditionally eight weeks old, fattened for fifteen days and then strangled, to retain the blood.

The restaurant was owned in the 1890s and 1900s by Frédéric Delair, who began the tradition of presenting a numbered certificate to each person who ate the pressed duck. In 1912, the Terrail family bought the restaurant. It was operated first by André Terrail, then by his son Claude, who died in 2006 at the age of 88, and then by Claude’s son André.

A museum to the city’s past, the 400-year-old restaurant is a delightful time warp that has hosted the world’s rich and famous for centuries. On June 21, 1921, then Crown Prince Hirohito and later Emperor Shōwa of Japan, during his first foreign visit, dined at there. He loved it so much that he came 50 years later that led to the opening of the one and only branch in Hotel New Otani Tokyo in 1984. The duck served to His Majesty was #53211 in Paris, which led to the numbering of the ducks served at the Tour d’Argent Tokyo to start from the next number, #53212. 

It has a great literary heritage, having been referenced not only by Marcel Proust and Ernest Hemingway, but also inspired the storyline of the 2007 Pixar animated adventure Ratatouille. From 1951 until 1996, Michelin awarded the restaurant three stars. The rating was reduced to two stars in 1996, and to one star in 2006.

From April 2022 to August 2023 La Tour d’Argent had an extensive renovation. The project, led by interior designer Franklin Azzi, brought the restaurant into the 21st century. The designers added a metallic, “kinetic ceiling”, a carpet inspired by the Seine, and expanded the kitchen into the dining room.

The Tour d’Argent is famous for having one of the largest wine collections in the world. The cellar, guarded around the clock, contains more than 300,000 bottles – with some of the bottles dating back to the 18th century. Of those wines, about 15,000 are offered to diners in the 5kg, 400-page “anthology wine bible”.

Le canard à la presse

The classic dish Le canard à la presse, also known as Pressed Duck, is designed to be shared. It was invented by Chef/Owner Frédéric Delair (that’s him in the portraits above) around the 1890s. The original recipe called for caneton or duckling, often from a particular breed known for its rich flavour. The most distinctive feature of this dish is the use of a special silver press to extract the juice and blood of the asphyxiated duckling.

After the duck is partially roasted, certain parts (like the breast and legs) are set aside. The remaining carcass, containing the liver and other internal parts, is placed in a specially designed silver press. This press is used to squeeze out the blood and other juices from the carcass. These days it is done in the kitchen instead at table side as many faint-hearted diners could not stand the gory sight. For those who can stomach that, there’s a demonstration at Philippe in Melbourne that followed a similar recipe.

The extracted juice is then cooked with ingredients like duck stock, wine, and seasonings to create a rich, flavourful sauce. This sauce is typically thickened and enriched with butter. The reserved parts of the duck (breast and legs) are then sliced and served with the sauce.

The restaurant menu, revamped by chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Yannick Franques, draws on the neo-Classical heritage of several decades of French haute cuisine (with a particular emphasis on sauces); the perfectly honed service is as spectacular as ever. 

Trained by Eric Frechon at the Bristol, Christian Constant at the Crillon, Alain Ducasse at the Louis XV and also by Jean-Louis Nomicos at the Grande Cascade, Yannick Franques passed through the Château Saint-Martin in Vence where he obtained two stars in the Michelin Guide and then through the Réserve de Beaulieu. He joined the Tour d’Argent in 2019, where he has worked since then as Executive Chef.

Amuse Bouche | Small Bites

As usual, the meal started with some small bites, traditionally known as amuse bouche. In France, they are served even if you order a la carte.

Gougères | French Cheese Puffs

First up, some gougères, French cheese choux made with Gruyère cheese and coconut shaving. These cheese puffs have a very airy texture with a soft yet crispy sponge-like crust and a light cheese flavour. Tasted like those treats that we serve during Chinese New Year.

Mushroom pâté on toast

This mushroom toast is such a great savoury treat; sourdough bread covered in a delicious mushroom pate and topped with sliced mushrooms sprinkled with powered dried mushroom. What a umami bomb.

Onion hibiscus with onion confit and onion pickles 

This pickled red onions recipe featuring a secret ingredient – dried hibiscus flowers for that pop of flavours are used to pickle the onion. I love the deep red colour and slight tartness they deliver.

Olive from Picholine stuffed with cream of pistachio 

At first I thought it was similar to what was done at El Bulli. This is not an alginate olive. It is a real green olive from Picholine, pickle in-house and stuffed with cream of pistachio. Soft and nutty with a delicious filling.

Sardine celery tartlet

Cured sardine topped with chives and edible flowers on a celery mousse filled tartlet sprinkled with parmesan cheese dust. Delicious little bite.

Lentil soup with popped lentils and veloute of lentils

Last of the complimentary amuse bouche, the cold lentil veloute soup served with popped lentils. Not a fan of lentils, this was like drinking a savoury version of green bean soup for me.

They have their own boulangerie across the street that sells wonderful bread, and for the lunch service, there’s the “sarment baguette” (picture above, left) with toasted organic cereals. The baguette requires a 24-hour fermentation and skillfully combines the character of ancient flours and liquid sourdough with the delicious crunch of toasted seeds. And they have the regular baguettes and sourdough if you are not into these grains.

And to go with the brilliant bread, we were served salted butter from Brittany. Brittany’s butter is special, an almost always served salted, in particular using salt from Guérande. There are two reasons for that. First, butter is mainly milk (in particular, cream) and Brittany is a big milk producer. Secondly, in the past, the region was exempt from the salt tax. Brittany brought these two products together to ensure that its butter would keep for longer. That’s also the reason why Breton butter retains all the flavours of the milk.

Huître | Oyster

En tartare à l’huile de curry, chantilly de brocolis au citron vert, écume iodée à la ciboulette | Tartare-style with curry oil, broccoli e lime Chantilly cream, iodized skim with chives

The first dish is a starter simply called “oyster”. It is a pastry of sorts, with chopped Brittany oysters served tartare-style with a curry oil dressing, topped with Chantilly cream of broccoli and lime served in a cylinder shell filled with chive foam. Didn’t expect the elaborate work around the mollusc, but I love the oyster tartare as much as I enjoy freshly shucked oyster. Didn’t quite work out the curry oil, which thankfully was very light.

Foie Gras Des Trois Empereurs | Goose Foie Gras Des Trois Empereurs

Confit de truffe, délicate gelée au Porto, chutney d’oignons nouveaux caramélisés | Truffle confit, Port jelly, caramelized onion chutney

A large porcelain jar was presented at the table and the reveal showed a terrine of foie gras filled to the brim. Then you were served two large quenelles of foie gras that was marinated in port wine and spices and then cooked for several hours. You can still see the large pieces of Périgord truffle (French black truffle) in it. Chef Yannick Franques’ tailor-made seasoning gives this exceptional dish an absolutely unique taste.

The story begins in June 1867 at the Café Anglais, during a memorable dinner. Around the table were William I, King of Prussia, Tsarevitch Alexander III and the Tsar of all the Russias, Alexander II, who was surprised that the foie gras was not on the menu. “In June, this was hardly surprising,” replied Claudius Burdel, the head chef at the Café Anglais. So in autumn, he had the precious terrine created for the occasion brought to Alexander II: the Three Emperor’s foie gras.

Nice freshness from the jellies which had a fantastic depth of flavour both from the port and sauternes but also from the chicken stock that was used to make these jellies, very refined.

The foie gras is accompanied by a fluffy brioche and black truffle puff to accentuate the flavours of the foie gras. I particularly love the brioche, with cavities that would hold the foie gras nicely.

Outstanding foie gras which had the most delicate flavour and smooth texture. I have never eaten a better one. It is now showcased on a delicate plate bearing the words “There is nothing more serious than pleasure”, a favourite maxim of Claude Terrail (1917-2006), the late owner of the restaurant. A bespoke, hand-crafted creation made in the workshops of ceramist Sylvie Coquet in the Limousin countryside, the birthplace of porcelain.

Domaine J.M. Boillot Pommard 1er Cru Jarollières 2007

It takes some time to wake up, but then it reveals its powerful, deep structure. A richer deeper purple, but looking good. There is a huge wealth of deep raspberry fruit on the palate, enough acidity, tannins only in the background. Strong reduction too on the nose. Good weight of fruit and cleaner at the finish.

Caneton Frédéric Delair | Duckling Frédéric Delair

The pressed duck has been renamed Duckling Frédéric Delair as a tribute to the inventor. This has been a constant in menu in the restaurant, and the recipe has not been altered since the beginning. The only concession that has happened is that the sauce au sang is no longer prepared at table side.

Today, we were having duckling #1,189,830. All the ducks served at La Tour d’Argent are reared by the Burgaud family in Challans. Maison Burgaud offers a specific slaughtering method, the blood of the Challandais ducks remains in their veins, their flesh is therefore more red and more flavourful. The duck is served in two services; firstly, the classic sliced roasted breast with the blood sauce, and then as a confit for the dark meat.

Rôti entier, découpe à la volée, sauce au sang, pommes soufflées | Roasted, prepared at the table, blood sauce, soufléed potatoes

First up was the roasted duck breast covered with a rich sauce au sang (blood sauce) made from duck liver and blood, cognac, Madeira and black pepper, accompanied by some pommes soufflés and a tiny morsel of the duck wing. An excellent duck breast cooked medium well and a gorgeous rich sauce with layers of flavour and a good strong peppery finish. Lovely fruity notes from the pepper which they sourced from Cambodia.

The first time I had pommes soufflés was in Paris 14 years ago at Laurent. I find them to be the most delightful side dish to accompany any steak or meat. I was pleasantly surprised to see this served here at La Tour d’Argent. Slices of potato are fried twice, the potato slices puff up into little pillows during the second frying and turn golden brown. Much better than French fries.

A simple but perfect first service; the beauty of this course is in the eating rather than in the presentation and I fear that it is not terribly photogenic.

Hâtereau de cuisse grillée, tartelette de gésiers à l’estragon e peau croustillante, sauce Béarnaise | Roasted thighs, crisp gizzards and tarragon tartlet, Béarnaise sauce

Next service of the same duck was the duck leg panfried to a crisp in its own duck fats, served with a mustard béarnaise sauce and a tartlet of duck giblets cooked in tarragon.

The béarnaise was absolutely divine and had the perfect touch of mustard. A variation of Hollandaise sauce, one of the 5 “mother sauces” in classical French cookery, it’s notoriously difficult to make by hand. Obviously a rich combination further enriched with the giblet tartlet.

A delicious duck leg with a fantastic crispy skin. But what really blew my mind was the tartlet of giblets. I am one that love offals and other inner parts, so this peppery chopped giblets sautéed in tarragon was the highlight of the dish.

Fromages d’Île-De-France & Séléction Laurent Dubois

Nos fermes bio : Sainte-Colombe, la Fromentellerie, la Chalotterie, les brebis de Cravent, les Grands Courbons, la Tremblaye é la Vallière

Every fine dining restaurant in Paris has a cheese trolley, and La Tour d’argent’s cheese trolley is exceptional. These artisan cheeses from cheesemaker and fellow MOF Laurent Dubois is a meal on its own.

Entrements | Palate Cleanser

Sorbet is the most frequent palate cleanser and the one most adapted worldwide. But the flavours of these sorbets can very from something refreshing like lime and mint, to something weird. 

Today, it was a lime pudding with a quenelle of basil sorbet in a bath of lime and basil syrup topped with a sugary disc.

You can crack it like a creme brûlée. Really tart, not something I can bear,

Crêpes Mademoiselle

Perles de lait cru de la ferme de la Chalotterie | Raze milk pearl from la Chalotterie farm

There were two famous Henri Charpentier in French history. The first was a general during the French Revolution. The second was an early celebrity chef that invented the crepe suzette – perfect thin pancakes cooked with Mandarine Impériale, orange and Cointreau and then flambéed with Grand Marnier. A great classic and utterly delicious. No, the famous Japanese pastry chain has nothing to do with these Charpentiers.

Legend has it that Charpentier, who was an assistant waiter at the Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris, was serving the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII and accidentally lit the liqueurs on fire. It was served and when asked about the name he called it “Crêpes Princesse” but was asked to change it to Crepes Suzette after a woman called Suzette present at the table.

Perles de lait cru de la ferme de la Chalotterie is basically cream made from raw unpasteurised milk from a farm in Chalotterie. This cream has a beautiful vanilla taste, very creamy and rich, and complimented the crêpes perfectly.

Truffes au chocolat | Chocolate Truffles

By any standard, the loss of a coveted star from the Michelin Guide is enough to send the owners of the unfortunate restaurant, spiralling into depression. To lose two stars is a cause for public mourning. It takes something special then to be able to withstand such a blow, and still keep one’s place as a veritable temple of fine dining.

La Tour D’argent is that sort of restaurant, its dining room is still as packed as ever. But then again, we are talking about a restaurant that has a history dating back more than four centuries – far longer than the Guide has been in existence – and one which has become more than just a venue to wine and dine.

It’s still perhaps one of the best known restaurants in all of France, maybe even in the world. The service was formal but that is expected. They’re correct and not cold. 3 stars or not, this steward of the French culinary scene still serves a delicious meal.

I recommend lunch, not because they have a much more affordable lunch set menu, but on a clear day (like the one we were in) you are going to get the most beautiful vintage point of the Notre Dame and Paris as you get full visibility of the amazing food you are having. But do not miss their dinner extravaganza, as the night lights of the river dazzled with the Tour Eiffel sparkling along the way.

La Tour d’Argent
15 quai de la Tournelle, Paris, 75005, France
Tel : +33 1 43 54 23 31 (Reservations)

Visited Oct 2024

Michelin France Guide 3 Stars 1951-1995, 2 Stars 1996-2005, 1 Star 2006-2024