Kémia

Chef Richard Maizel's cuisine at Kémia represents a thoughtful interpretation of Mediterranean cooking filtered through French technique and seasonal availability. The menu changes regularly based on market offerings, ensuring that what arrives at your table reflects the best of what's currently available. This commitment to seasonality means that each visit offers the potential for discovery, with new preparations and combinations appearing as ingredients come into their prime.

The sharing-plate format defines the dining experience here. Rather than committing to a single entrée, you're invited to explore multiple preparations, building a meal that's both varied and satisfying. This approach works particularly well with Mediterranean cuisine, where bold flavors, varied textures, and diverse preparations create natural opportunities for contrast and complement.

Certain dishes have become signatures, appearing regularly enough to develop devoted followings. The pimientos de padrón arrive perfectly blistered, their mild heat and smoky char balanced by flaky sea salt. The babaganoush showcases the silky texture and complex flavor that comes from properly charred eggplant, its smokiness enhanced by tahini and lemon. The picanha—a cut beloved in Brazilian churrascarias—receives expert treatment here, its rich, beefy flavor and tender texture making it a standout among the meat offerings.

Beyond these signatures, the menu ventures into diverse territory. You'll find seafood preparations featuring lotte (monkfish), its firm, sweet flesh lending itself to bold preparations. Magret de canard appears in various forms, the duck breast's rich flavor and tender texture providing a luxurious element. Slow-cooked beef confit demonstrates the kitchen's patience and technique, transforming tough cuts into melt-in-your-mouth tenderness through careful, extended cooking.

The lunch menu offers a more structured approach with its prix-fixe format, providing excellent value while maintaining the quality and creativity of the evening service. At 23€ for two courses or 26€ for three, these menus make Kémia's cooking accessible for regular visits. The evening's à la carte format, with plates ranging from 8€ to 25€, allows for more flexibility and exploration, letting you build a meal that matches your appetite and curiosity.

Desserts receive the same attention as savory preparations, with house-made options that provide satisfying conclusions to the meal. The kitchen's attention to detail extends to these final courses, ensuring that the experience ends as strongly as it begins.

The wine program deserves special mention for its focus on biodynamic selections. These wines, produced with minimal intervention and maximum respect for terroir, pair beautifully with the bold, honest flavors of the cuisine. The list offers enough variety to accommodate different preferences while maintaining a clear point of view about quality and production methods.