This location is now closed with no re-opening date.
The following article is left as-is for historical and archiving purposes.
Il Vino Restaurant in Paris by Enrico Bernardo
A unique concept for this gourmet and Michelin starred restaurant, where you choose the wine, and the food is a surprise and perfectly matched to the wines on offer, which was started by Enrico Bernardo who was the youngest person to win Top Sommelier in the World, although this particular restaurant has since CLOSED with no re-opening date available.
About Il Vino top table restaurant in Paris
Enrico Bernardo was voted the Best Sommelier in the World in 2004, the youngest person to have ever achieved this title since it has been running, and although he had worked at prestigious establishments, this talented entrepreneur, decided to open his own restaurant.
The Il Vino was the first restaurant that Enrico Bernardo opened in a plush area close to Les Invalides and only a short walk from the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower, and very quickly it became recognised as a smart gourmet restaurant with a difference.
It is now a Michelin starred restaurant in Paris, yet has a very unique concept for a fun and unusual dining experience, where instead of seeing a menu presenting the dishes available, you are only presented a wine list, and the cuisine is a surprise.
Now, obviously, because of the experience of the restaurant owner, you can expect top quality wines from Enrico, that are served by the glass, or alternatively, you can choose a bottle of wine for the whole meal from the cellars of the vast world wide selection.
And the French cuisine that also combines an Italian influence from his origins, is perfectly matched, but do not worry if there are certain allergies you have or any food you do not, or will not eat, as the competent waiters will discuss options with you prior to your meal.
Yet if you are not really that knowledgeable when it comes to different varieties of wine, one of the best options would be a Degustation or tasting menu. And you have the option of either four dishes and four wines, or five, where you get two starters, a main course, cheese course and dessert, accompanied by a different glass of wine for each course, and at the start of 2015 these were a cost of €95 or €150 respectively.
But there is an a la carte selection, which list the wines on offer by the glass for a starters, known as an Entree in French, a main course known as a Plat, then there is the Fromages, or cheeses, followed by wines to accompany desserts. However, if you just wish to order a dish without wine, then as of 2015 the cost for a starter was €30, a main course €42 and cheese or dessert at €12 per selection.
Now, as we have mentioned, the cuisine is a surprise at Il Vino, so we cannot provide details of what is on offer, however, in the past there have been delights such as Beef Ravioli, Sea urchins with avocado and luchees, Crab meat and black radish, Provencal Lamb or Lamb cooked two ways, Lobster with spring roll, Taglioni with white truffle, Meringue and passion fruit ice cream, Mango cake, Red berry crumble, plus other dishes have included monkfish, beef, scallops, etc.
Now there is a lunch menu available with a starter and main course or main course and dessert, and again, you can go for a blind option, but also try guessing the wine that is being served with your dish. And you will find that because of the unique concept of Il Vino, the waiters are extremely accommodating, speak English and make the dining experience even more special, even waiting for you to take your first sip of wine before explaining what it is.
And talking of special, the dining room itself is chic and modern, yet comfortable and intimate, which is perfect for a special occasion or romantic meal, although, as you can no doubt appreciate, this is not the sort of place that you should consider taking children unless you have to.
Visiting the Il Vino restaurant in Paris
Il Vino has become exceedingly popular since Enrico Bernardo first opened it, and being this is only a small Michelin starred top table restaurant in Paris, reservations are now essential, especially for an evening, when they are open from 7pm through to midnight on a Tuesday through to Saturday.
They are also open for lunch on a Tuesday through to Friday, yet are closed at all other times, and you can make a booking via telephone, or on their website, however, we would like to point out that bookings can only be done via telephone on a Friday or Saturday if it is a last minute decision.
Now when it comes to getting to Il Vino, you will find this located in the 7th Arrondissement close to numerous tourist attractions in Paris, and the nearest public transport is the Invaldes stop serving lines 8 and 13 of the Metro and line C of the RER trains. Or in the opposite direction of the restaurant, you have the Tour-Maubourg Metro stop serving line 8.
