Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris has launched “Lunch at Potager,” a new farm-to-table experience. Guests will have the opportunity to accompany Chef Simone Zanoni, who will guide them outside of Paris to discover the potager, the hotel’s vegetable garden.
The experience begins at the entrance of the hotel, where Chef Zanoni meets guests to drive them directly to the Domaine de Madame Elisabeth, an estate that once belonged to the sister of King Louis XVI. Located 13 miles southwest of Paris in Versailles, the Domaine is home to the kitchen garden of Le George, spanning across 19,000 square feet of land, free from chemical interaction, which provides the Michelin-starred restaurant with seasonal fruits and vegetables all year long. Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, eggplants, zucchinis, green beans, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, beetroots and herbs are cultivated by the chef with the support of a team of people in professional reintegration programs.
Guests are invited to tour the vegetable garden with Chef Zanoni and handpick fresh greens, learning when to harvest vegetables to make sure they’re at their peak of flavor. During the tour, the chef shares sustainable practices while supporting and encouraging the consumption of locally produced seasonal foods.
Once guests have gathered all the necessary ingredients, they head to the wooden-built, open-air kitchen in the vegetable garden. The intimate kitchen is furnished with a barbecue station, pizza oven and pasta machine. A wide, black wooden table serves as a workspace for the commis of the day, who will indulge in an al fresco cooking class with the chef. Together, they will discover the chef’s culinary secrets and prepare simple dishes such as tomato and burrata salad, grilled zucchini with a drizzle of lemon or tagliolini with pesto. Guests will enjoy an aperitivo with a few light bites before setting the table and sharing lunch in this rustic yet chic setting.
Guests will also have the opportunity to pair this experience with wine of their choice. Before the departure to Versailles, Le George’s Head Sommelier Francesco Cosci will guide guests to the hotel’s cellar to recommend wines that will pair with their meal. For wine lovers eager to benefit from an outdoor wine-tasting class, Cosci will accompany them to the potager and share his knowledge of wines.
The experience concludes with a dinner under the stars, complete with glass lanterns and candles.
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