La table du temps jadis
invites you to La Belle Époque,
a gourmet period of splendor and carefreeness

Belle Époque meals reflected the importance of conviviality and gustatory pleasure, with meticulous attention paid to the presentation of dishes, the quality of ingredients and the harmony of flavors. These meals, often prolonged and accompanied by lively conversations, were a reflection of an era when luxury and the art of living were celebrated with pomp. Around 10 dishes make up the Belle Époque menu... Impressive for our contemporary stomachs! A particularly abundant menu, which also follows an essential protocol and very rigorous composition rules.

Here's a look at the typical structure of an elaborate meal from this era, which can vary depending on the degree of formality and the occasion, with examples of dishes offered on Auguste Escoffier's menus:

1. Hors d'oeuvres : The meal begins with a selection of light hors d'oeuvres, designed to stimulate the appetite. These appetizers could include stuffed eggs, fresh caviar, smoked salmon, boats of crayfish, oysters, melon, shrimp salad, sardine mousse, Westphalian ham, Greek artichokes, etc.
2. Soups : The soup makes its debut, warming the soul and whetting the appetite. Clear like a pâté or rich and creamy, it prepares the palate for the following delights. Escoffier offers, among other things, poached egg pâté, fresh pea velouté, crayfish bisque, curry poultry velouté, watercress and sorrel cream, chicken au pot, Chantilly lentil puree, etc.
3. Eggs ( served only at lunch ): Auguste Escoffier's Culinary Guide has just under 200 egg preparations and more than 50 omelette recipes! Its menus frequently offer scrambled eggs with asparagus tips or tomatoes, Grand Duke eggs, soft-boiled eggs Lorette, eggs à la Reine, poached eggs Florentine style, omelettes with truffles, kidneys, artichokes and chives...
4. Fish : The fish dish often follows accompanied by a delicate sauce and vegetables. The sauces and toppings are carefully chosen to complement the taste of the fish. In this iodized stage, you can find sole Meunière, skate in black butter, brill with fine herbs, American lobster, oysters au gratin, crayfish soufflé, mullet à la maître d'hôtel, cod brandade, grilled salmon Béarnaise…
5. Relishes : After the fish come the relishes, a meat preparation accompanied by vegetables: pan-fried saddle of veal with new carrots, braised beef tongue with chicory in cream, saddle of venison in pepper sauce with chestnut puree, capon with puree celery, ham with spinach, saddle of lamb from Prés-salés with turnip puree…
6. Starters : Preparations of meat, game or offal, usually presented in a creative and complex manner. The starters include parsleyed foie gras escalopes, Rossini partridge fillets, sautéed chicken with porcini mushrooms and cream, grilled sweetbreads with asparagus tips, lamb chop with peas, veal head with oil, Portuguese-style tomato tournedos, veal blanquette…
7. Cold buffet : A cold food service which includes a wide choice of terrines, jellied meat, roast beef, pâtés, poultry and vegetable mousses, foie gras, etc.
8. Roasts ( served only at dinner ): usually consists of a poultry dish (duck, chicken, capon, etc.) or game (hare, venison, etc.). The succulent meat is roasted to perfection. Flanked by vegetables and topped with sauces, it is the centerpiece of the meal.
9. Salads : A light salad follows the roast, often with lettuce, lamb's lettuce or endive, aimed at aiding digestion with vegetal notes.
10. Vegetables : It's vegetable time with a variety of vegetables: asparagus, Italian artichokes, Brussels sprouts, stuffed lettuce, cauliflower, green beans, new apples, tomatoes au gratin...
11. Desserts : Desserts conclude the meal with a variety of hot and cold desserts: the hot selection offers soufflés, sweet omelettes, fruit or acacia flower fritters, fruits flambéed in liqueur, Norwegian omelette, charlottes, creams, puddings or even crepes like the unforgettable Crêpes Suzette. On the cold side, we find mousses, mixed fruits and fruit compotes, small cold pots of cream, Mont-Blanc with Marrons, caramel cream, Chantilly meringue, strawberry rice, orange jelly, fruit tarts, Bavarois , blancmange, Melba peach, Sarah Bernhardt strawberry, Belle-Hélène pear…
12. The meal ended with coffee served black, accompanied by sweets . Digestives, such as cognac or Armagnac, could also be offered.

As for drinks, it's the waltz of champagne glasses, a tasty beverage very popular during the Belle Époque . The Maxim's restaurant, which is the essential rallying point of Belle Époque Paris, is consecrated as the sanctuary of champagne. This drink is the preferred choice of elites, gentlemen and elegant ladies of the time.

The wines are not left out and even less the great grape varieties, white or red. Bordeaux wines are already highly esteemed, particularly those from prestigious regions such as Médoc (including châteaux such as Margaux, Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild) and Graves. These wines are synonymous with luxury and refinement. Burgundy also produces highly sought-after wines, thanks to its renowned appellations and famous estates . The wines of Côte d'Or, particularly those of Romanée-Conti and Montrachet, are particularly prized for their exceptional quality. Wines from the Rhône Valley , especially those from Hermitage, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côte-Rôtie, were beginning to be recognized for their robust and spicy character.

wines from Alsace , with their fruity and floral character, are gaining popularity. Rieslings, Gewurztraminers and other Pinot Gris are appreciated for their freshness and elegance. Loire Valley wines , with their diversity ranging from dry to sweet, are also in vogue. Appellations like Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé for whites and Chinon or Bourgueil for reds are highly esteemed.

The pairing of wine and food is an important thing and should not be neglected either. So the sommelier rules come into play with whites preferred for fish and rather tannic reds to accompany meats.

Water is only finally invited into gourmet meals when the greenery (salad) appears. But wine consumption picks up again as soon as the desserts arrive (sweet white or the unmistakable Champagne).

Absinthe , also known as the “Green Fairy”, saw its peak from 1880 to 1910. Initially appreciated by the bourgeois elite, this strong liquor, distilled at 70°, quickly charmed the world of the arts. From writing to impressionist painting, she has fascinated a vast and varied circle of followers. However, faced with accusations of inducing madness, absinthe was finally outlawed in 1915. During the Belle Époque, France began a fervent campaign against the use of alcohol, targeting absinthe in particular , while, in a striking contrast, wine and, even more so, champagne, are consecrated national symbols, representative of a sophisticated exhilaration.

• On the revenue side :
  • The Culinary Guide by Auguste Escoffier
  • My kitchen by Auguste Escoffier
• To find out more about the culinary art and the significant events of La Belle Époque :
  • Culinary memories by Auguste Escoffier
  • The Book of Menus by Auguste Escoffier
  • The Belle Époque as the French experienced it from L'Illustration under the direction of Jean-Louis Festjens