Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul (Lotte Hotel Seoul)
피에르 가니에르 서울(롯데호텔서울)
About
Michelin-starred French fine dining by acclaimed chef Pierre Gagnaire at Lotte Hotel Seoul, featuring artistic plating and refined haute cuisine.
# Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul: Culinary Artistry at 35 Floors Perched on the 35th floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul, Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul translates the vision of the chef known as the Picasso of cooking into a dining experience where every plate functions as deliberate composition. Following a renovation that preserved the kitchen's established excellence while restructuring prices toward accessibility, the restaurant reopens with renewed purpose. The welcome spreads immediately demonstrate this philosophy. Diners encounter watermelon granita alongside paprika purée, almond sablé cookies, grapefruit paired with pea purée enclosed in vegetable agar, and a cocktail cup holding lobster, peach, and peach jelly. House-made bread, notably a fig-studded variety, sets expectations high before appetizers arrive. The three-course appetizer procession showcases controlled invention. King crab salad glazed with hibiscus juice and omija jelly precedes a delicate composition of seaweed gelatin cradling sea urchin roe and tapioca. A chestnut and foie gras soup crowned with almond milk emulsion follows. Subsequent courses marry familiar ingredients—squid dressed with basil-tomato sauce, cauliflower purée beneath bouillabaisse sauce—into unfamiliar sensations, demonstrating technique rather than novelty for its own sake. The Korean beef tenderloin arrives medium-rare, finished in black pepper noisette butter, accompanied by an Avignon-style braised oxtail reduction. Dessert continues the presentation philosophy: a raspberry parfait, lime sorbet, and meringue top concealing chestnut cream and vanilla ice cream. Post-meal accompaniments include raspberry jelly, pistachio sablé, and white chocolate-coated orange segments, with a final edible meringue straw standing in coffee-gelatin custard. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame Seoul from Jonggak Station northward to Bukhansan Mountain, transforming into romantic evening cityscape. The room itself channels Versailles sensibility through its refined proportions and sight lines. Service documentation of each course emphasizes that diners witness not sustenance but artistic practice unfolding across the table, each element positioned with deliberation. For those seeking French fine dining executed at uncommon depth in Seoul, this represents the singular established choice.
Menu
- Opening Gala Menu
- King Crab Salad
- Korean Beef Tenderloin Steak
Local tips
- Call ahead to reserve: +82-2-317-7181/7182
- Located on 35th floor of Lotte Hotel Executive Tower with panoramic Seoul views
- Lunch 12:00-15:00 (L.O 14:00), Dinner 18:00-22:00 (L.O 21:00)
- Recently renovated (Sept 2018) with more accessible pricing while maintaining quality
- Dress code: Smart casual recommended for fine dining
Details
Opening hours
- Sunday
- 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00
- Monday
- 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00
- Tuesday
- 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00
- Wednesday
- 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00
- Thursday
- 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00
- Friday
- 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00
- Saturday
- 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00