Armenian of origin, Lebanese by birth and trained in Saudi Arabia, chef Vartivar Jarkezian mixes all these references in Campelli's gastronomic dishes.
At the age of 27, Vartivar Jarkezian has an extraordinary career. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, this chef of Armenian origin cut his teeth for ten years in Saudi Arabia before flying to Paris in 2015 where he worked at the Bissac restaurant, not far from the Opera, then climbing the ranks at Shabour where he finished sous chef.
In 2023, tickled by a desire to be the chef of his own place, he took over the reins of the Campelli restaurant, two streets from the Palais-Royal. And it is quite natural that he draws the contours of a kitchen bathed in childhood memoriesrevisiting culinary traditions coming from Beyrouthof course, but also Jeddah andYerevan.
To create dishes built around flavors andoriental spices (zaatar, sumac, orange blossom, rose), the chef uses resolutely gastronomic techniques contemporarybut always keeping in mind its roots, as with its flagship dish, Flora's cauliflower, inspired by her mother's recipe.
For the liquid part of Campelli, Vartivar Jarkezian surrounded himself with Claristin Christopher (past the Ritz Bar), both room manager and mixologue. If the cocktails and mocktails are there, the wine is just as much with no less 85 references wines from France and the world, particularly from Armenia, to be discovered through food and wine pairings in 5 glasses (59€) and 7 glasses (79€).
If it is possible to choose from the à la carte options, the Campelli route can also be traveled through two discovery menus at €89 (in 5 services, tested during our visit) and €109 (in 7 services). Although it started auspiciously, our lunch turned out to be quite uneven, particularly towards the very end.
-In detail, we start perfectly, with a trio of enchanting appetizers : a beetroot cake with vegetable charcoal, yogurt and raspberry vinegar; a mint, tarragon and Armenian pepper tartlet; a siphon of green olive, capers and a delicate feather of zaatar; as well as a date molasses butter and Tunisian olive oil to spread on a small brioche bath, so as not to shy away from our pleasure.
Then place the famous Flora's cauliflower (16€), roasted cauliflower in several textures, accompanied by tahini, sesame, coriander pesto and sumac to be sauced in turn; to the delicate Snacked scallops and oriental sorrel salad (€25); then at Caucasian manti (27€), a ravioli stuffed with mushrooms – a little bland, despite the surrounding herbs – accompanied by a red cabbage salad – too salty.
The free-range poultry with white butter (31€) which follows, presented alongside a frozen carrot toppled of white grapes, takes us too suddenly back to France and seems pale compared to previous discoveries, while the desserts – a mhalabieh with orange blossom (15€) too much and a trio of ice creams with original flavors and small cocoa biscuits (14€) – left us a little hungry.
For a more intimate lunch or dinner, Campelli has a private room in the basement that can accommodate up to 16 people.
This test was carried out as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know in the comments.
