Le Cinq, the three-Michelin-star restaurant housed inside the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, has long been considered a pinnacle of French fine dining. With its plush setting, gilded décor, and reputation for service as much as cuisine, it has attracted royalty, celebrities, and culinary pilgrims from across the globe. By the time British food critic Jay Rayner sat down in 2017, expectations were sky-high.
Rayner, known for his sharp pen and theatrical prose, did not set out to savage the institution, but what followed would become one of the most talked-about restaurant reviews in years. His piece for The Guardian ignited conversations across the food world, with readers both horrified and amused at his descriptions of what should have been a transcendent meal.
A Critic’s Caustic Tone
From the opening lines of his review, Rayner made it clear that his visit was not going to end in quiet applause. He described the atmosphere as one of intimidating opulence, the kind of environment where diners might feel less like honored guests and more like interlopers in a temple of haute cuisine. While the service was attentive in form, the food itself, he argued, was an entirely different matter.
Rayner’s skill lies not only in evaluation but in entertainment, and his review leaned heavily into the absurdity of the dishes presented. He wrote with vivid disdain, painting mental pictures that stuck with readers long after the piece was published.
The Notorious Dishes
One of the most cited passages in the review concerned a dish of onion soup that Rayner described as “a broth with slimy, melted onions lurking in it like swamp creatures.” What should have been a comforting and deeply savory French classic was, in his estimation, a muddled bowl of excess.
Another dish that received his scorn was a plate of turbot served with what he called “a puddle of glue.” Rayner used this description not just to critique texture but to highlight the distance between the grand expectations of French fine dining and the reality of what he was served.
Perhaps most damning was his description of a citrus dessert that looked, in his words, like “a disaster in a nuclear yellow.” Here, he ridiculed both presentation and flavor, accusing the dish of being more clownish than refined.
The Price of Excess
Part of the fury—and humor—of the review came from the price tag. Rayner’s bill was roughly €600 for two, and he made no effort to conceal his disdain for what he considered a poor return on such an extravagant investment.
He argued that the food was not only disappointing but symptomatic of an outdated model of dining: an overstuffed, ceremonial performance that no longer delivered joy, only pomp and circumstance. For Rayner, Le Cinq’s reputation as a three-star experience had lost its substance, becoming little more than a relic of a gilded era.
Reactions Across the Food World
The review quickly went viral. Food lovers and critics shared it across social media, quoting its most barbed lines with glee. Many saw it as a refreshing moment of candor in a world where elite restaurants are often untouchable. Others criticized Rayner for what they viewed as gratuitous cruelty, arguing that his theatrical style overshadowed legitimate critique.
For Le Cinq itself, the review was undoubtedly a sting, though Michelin did not strip it of stars. Indeed, the restaurant continued to draw loyal clientele, though its reputation was forever marked by Rayner’s essay.
Legacy of a Scathing Piece
In retrospect, Rayner’s review of Le Cinq in 2017 became more than just a restaurant write-up. It was a cultural event, a piece of food writing that transcended its immediate subject to question the very nature of fine dining. Do exorbitant prices and elaborate staging guarantee quality? Or can such excess smother pleasure rather than enhance it?
The piece remains a touchstone in discussions of criticism, demonstrating how sharp wit and vivid description can elevate a review into literature. Whether one agrees with Rayner’s assessments or not, his Le Cinq review endures as one of the most memorable food critiques of the 21st century.
Jay Rayner’s takedown of Le Cinq in 2017 was not just about food—it was about class, culture, and expectation. In mocking the dishes with such gleeful venom, he did what great critics do: he forced readers to reconsider what luxury means, and whether refinement always equates to satisfaction.
For diners who have read the review, Le Cinq will never be seen in quite the same way again.