New Delhi, Jun 4 (IANSlife): Far above the bustling streets of the City of Light, the 650 m2 panoramic terrace is a garden, verdant with trees and flowers. The most beautiful landmarks of the capital are in plain sight, on one hand stretching from Notre-Dame to the colonnade of the Louvre, and on the other, from the Eiffel Tower to the top of Montmartre. From this vantage, time stands still. This floating garden is a destination in its own right, on a floor dedicated to the French art de vivre at its most relaxed. Everything here exudes joy, vivre, and conviviality.

For this new creation of Cheval Blanc Paris, Arnaud Donckelehas worked with Chef William Bequin to compose a concise and colourful menu of unparalleled freshness, where lunches and dinners centre on strawberries and tomatoes. Pineapple, Crimean Black, Bee for Pigeon Heart, Cranberry, Cherry... The alchemy of these fruits and vegetables recipes unlocks the sweet perfume of Mediterranean summer, tantalizing the senses. The holidaymaker is astonished by a tomato-French toast with a green zebra tomato sorbet. Meanwhile, surprises await: Cornue tomato stuffed with bulgur "Return from the Islands"-style prepared in the bread oven shares pride of place with its brother on the menu, another tomato with a juicy stuffing of beef, pequillos and sage. It must be noted that fish and meat play secondary roles in this playful and resolutely summer cuisine.

Pastry Chef Maxime Frederic has created a menu where the strawberries are a delicious medium for the many expressions of this place's sweet joys: try the ile flottante with wild strawberries and orange blossom, or the shortcake with Ciflorette strawberries and rhubarb jam.

The Chefs are the privileged partners of Plantation Paris, the brand new urban garden whose rooftop greenhouse and permaculture vegetable plots are just a stone's throw from Montmartre. The team there is as concerned about the environment as the quality of the fruit and vegetables they grow with such care.