Menus & Dishes
A miniature savoury cone filled with red onion crème fraîche and salmon tartare is the first thing most guests are handed. It is playful, and it is doing serious work.
By The Reservation Desk Editorial Team · Published May 15, 2025 · Last updated · 5 min read
The idea is a straight visual pun on a soft-serve cone, executed with a tuile shaped by hand and a salmon tartare seasoned to hold at the exact temperature it will be eaten.
It arrives before the menu is really underway, in the hand rather than on cutlery, which resets the register of the evening from formal to welcoming.
A first bite has to establish seasoning, temperature control and a point of view within seconds. The cornet does all three, and it also tells guests that the kitchen does not take itself too seriously.
It is the clearest example of Keller's habit of using a familiar American reference as the frame for classical French technique.
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Our editorial team researches fine-dining access, booking windows and menu formats across the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Every guide is compiled from restaurant-published information, official reservation platforms and first-hand dining notes, then re-checked before each update.
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