Lasserre, Paris 1940s Polish To start the meal

To start the meal

a businessman who was not just a great restaurateur but a genius at marketing

A lovely handwritten menu from London's celebrated Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair

businessman and politicians came to let their hair down

Joseph Guttman

Lasserre, Paris 1940s Polish To start the mealThis Parisian institution continues to be a bastion of elegance, expense, and culinary excellence. Number 17 Avenue Victor Emmanuel III (renamed Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1945) was a run down bistro until Ren Lasserre took it over and, in 1942, opened his eponymous restaurant. During WW2, he and the restaurant staff protected resistance fighters at the same time as its reputation for fine dining spread. In 1948 he founded his Club de la