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From Paris to Abu Dhabi, a French culinary institution, Fouquet’s, opens at Louvre Abu Dhabi

Fouquet’s, one of Paris’ most iconic restaurants, makes its Middle Eastern debut at Louvre Abu Dhabi.  A symbol of French hospitality, the classic Parisian brasserie has found the perfect home at the art museum on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island. A true meeting of minds, Fouquet’s and Louvre Abu Dhabi represent the pinnacle of both cultural and culinary excellence. Today, with eight locations across the world, including Paris, Cannes, Toulouse, Marrakech, La Baule, Enghien-les-Bains, Courchevel and Montreux, Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi marks a welcome ninth addition to the family.

 

Nestled in the heart of the museum, which houses masterpieces across cultures and time periods, Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi offers a menu created in collaboration with French Michelin Star Chef, Pierre Gagnaire. Testament to his unparalleled creativity and flair, the imaginative menu features French classics injected with an inimitable Gagnaire twist. With spectacular flavours and flawless presentation, dishes remain faithful to the restaurant’s modern French heritage, with particular attention paid to sourcing only the finest ingredients. 

 

To begin, tuna tataki is dressed in Champs-Elysées sauce and Burgundy snails are cooked to garlicky perfection. The main courses are studded with French gastronomic delights like sole meunière, cooked in lightly browned butter and zesty lemon with a hint of parsley. The shoulder of lamb, served with green lentil hummus and grilled kale, is the pièce de résistance. The melt-in-the-mouth Wagyu beef, which is exquisitely-plated, also steals the show. With desserts to rival the savoury dishes, Fouquet's traditional millefeuille is its coup-de-grâce, though the glorious twinning of raspberry shortbread with basil and sorbet is also exquisite.

 

Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi remains true to the brand’s aesthetic codes with its unique ambiance and distinctive red leather armchairs. Black and white celebrity portraits from renowned Studio Harcourt and silver napkin rings with celebrities’ names engraved immerse guests in a “red carpet” atmosphere. Overhead, avant-garde chandeliers float effortlessly above linen-clad tables. The atmosphere of old-fashioned, understated elegance is given a contemporary twist with gallery-white walls, a nod to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s magnificent design by French architect Jean Nouvel. Colossal windows draw the eye outwards, to where the glistening Arabian Gulf kisses the horizon.

 

Just above Fouquet’s, marrying effortless elegance with laid-back luxe, is Marta, a picture of Parisian perfection. During the day, afternoon tea is served alongside classic apéritifs. Come nightfall, a sophisticated menu of cocktails and mocktails, dreamed up by its powerhouse mixologists, are served to pumping beats, courtesy of Marta’s resident DJ. Guests can visit for an intimate catch-up over cocktails or opt for private hire and invite their most discerning pals.

 

Opening hours

  • from Tuesday to Sunday
  • Lunch: 12pm - 3pm
  • Dinner: 7pm - 12am (1am Thursday & Friday)

 

About Fouquet’s 

Located on the most beautiful avenue in the world, brasserie Fouquet's has embodied the spirit of Paris for the past 120 years. It is the place to meet for those from the worlds of art and culture, as well as lovers of fine dining in search of top-notch brasserie-style cuisine. In a warm and welcoming atmosphere, surrounded by the renowned Harcourt Studio black and white portraits of stars, created through a clever combination of light and shadows, the legendary brasserie Fouquet’s brings together everyone who’s anyone in Paris.   Designed by 3 Michelin-star Chef Pierre Gagnaire, the menus draw upon local produce, with a good measure of creative flair.   Owned by the Barrière group since 1998, Fouquet's now has subsidiaries in 8 other destinations: Cannes, La Baule, Toulouse, Marrakech, Courchevel, Enghien-les-Bains, Montreux and Abu Dhabi.

 

About Pierre Gagnaire

Pierre Gagnaire is a French chef, and the head chef and owner of the eponymous Pierre Gagnaire restaurant at 6 rue Balzac in Paris. Gagnaire is an iconoclastic chef at the forefront of creative French cuisine who runs 15 restaurants around the world with a combined 15 Michelin stars. Beginning his career in St. Etienne where he won three Michelin Stars, Gagnaire tore at the conventions of classic French cooking by introducing jarring juxtapositions of flavours, tastes, textures, and ingredients. On his website, Gagnaire gives his mission statement as the wish to run a restaurant which is "facing tomorrow but respectful of yesterday".