19 replies to this topic

[TarteTatin]

We all know that it is possible to eat badly in Paris, just as it is anywhere, but when it happens on the first night of a trip, with old friends, it is even more disappointing. And so, herewith the following cautionary tale.

We arrived on Saturday morning to a beautiful day in Paris, got settled into our lovely rental flat on rue Cherche Midi. Had a coffee, a nap and then our friends arrived. And then the inevitable question: 'Where shall we go for dinner?"

We had several ideas, but being tired from the flight, and not wanting to be too pushy about restaurant choices (considering that we had snagged the bedroom and our friends had the pull out bed in the living room), deferred to their choice of restaurant. Not only deferred, but agreed wholeheartedly, as the description in Frommers was lyrical. Jewel box of a room, ... the kind of restaurant where one expects to see Left Bank intellectuals, carefully balanced, fairly priced wine list , charming welcome, traditional, but extremely well executed, cuisine, "the menu items may include a marinade of mushrooms with coriander; a navarin (rich stew) of lamb with scotch beans."

We called, made a reservation for 8P for the four of us and anticipated a good first meal in Paris.

We decided to walk because it turned out it was just down rue d'Assas to rue de Flerus opposite one of the gates to the Jardin du Luxembourg. The outside certainly was a charming looking restaurant. It was called Chez Gramond.

We looked at the menu - hand written - posted in the window - along with some glowing reviews (should have checked the dates) and went in. Frommers got one part right - it is a jewel box of a room, but one that was empty of guests. Should have been the first clue that not all was right at Chez Gramond. It was after all 8:15PM on a Saturday night.

Madame took our coats, seated us, at the table at the back, gave us menus and wine list. We declined aperitifs as we had already had had a bottle of wine at the flat.

We ordered food, fairly pedestrian stuff, but then two of us were jet lagged and the other two a bit less adventurous. Two potiron soups, an order of escargot, marinated mushrooms - 2 Navarin of lamb, one sanglier, coquilles with leeks and white wine.

We turned our attention to the wine list - again hand written. There were 4 bottles priced under 40 Euros. A Pays d'Oc, a Beaujolais, a red Chinon and an Anjou. We went for the Anjou at 39Euros. Everything else was above 90 Euros.

The wine arrived and was placed on a table across the room. It was not presented at the table. I noticed that there was no capsule on the bottle, but thought little of it, as I pull capsules off of wine bottles all the time. I watched as Madame uncorked the bottle and thought momentarily that the cork was sticking out of the neck a bit but chalked that up to my being tired, and brought it over to the table for me to taste. It was fine, if a bit full bodied for an Anjou with a bit more tannin than I expected. She left the bottle on the table, and brought out our entrees.

It was then that we all began to realize that we had been steered wrong by Frommers and our jet lag: The soup was, to put it kindly, insipid. No taste of pumpkin, no taste of cream, just a faintly chemical canned soup taste. The escargot were hot, garlicky, and traditional, but cooled down very quickly, as if they had been micro waved. The biggest disappointment was the marinated mushrooms, which had obviously come out of a jar.

Madame came out and cleared two appetizer plates before everyone had finished. And I studied the wine bottle. Suddenly I realized that we had been had and that Madame was pulling a fast one with the wine. The wine bottle was recycled. There was no neck label, but there was a residue of glue where there had been one. The main label was slightly crooked on the bottle and there was no back label. And there were obvious signs that the bottle had been used more than once, scratches, marks, etc. I was tempted to say something to the rest of the group, but decided that I didn't want to make a scene especially because I was tired and the wine wasn't bad, just not what it was represented to be. I realize now that I should have. In fact, I should have called Madame on this obvious chicanery, told her I wasn't paying for the wine, and left the restaurant. To my regret, I didn't.

Main courses arrived. The coquilles were passable, fresh with braised leeks and the only dish that was as described. The navarin of lamb was more beans than lamb and what lamb there was was tough and muttony tasting. The biggest disappointment was the sanglier - obviously frozen, overcooked so it was like eating vaguely boar flavored shoe leather, and with a sauce made with flour.

We finished, Chef came out, we chatted briefly, or rather he told us about his son in Connecticut who manages a restaurant in Greenwich. We asked for the bill, paid and left. Total cost for the night 201.60 Euros including 23 EUROS for the escargot which looked to be priced at 13 Euros on the menu. As we left we noticed the six other patrons who had been seated - they were all Americans, they were all over 60, and they all had a copy of Frommers.

Now, I know that had both of us been a little less tired and willing to defer to our friends choice we would have pushed for a place we knew. And had the restaurant not been on a quiet street with no other choices around it I would have walked out as soon as I saw that there were no other patrons when we arrived. And I do know not to take Frommers recommendations.

So, there you have it - Chez Gramond at 5 rue de Fleurus in the 6th. My top pick for the worst restaurant in Paris.

I will be posting this on Frommers Message board as well.

[ulterior epicure]

Tart Tatin.

Thanks for steering us clear!

U.E.

[menton1]

I would never use Frommer as a guide; much too commercial, and there have been rumblings as to just how impartial their resto recs are...

For a terrific source, get the Pudlo; terrific descriptions of not only the food, but the ambience and the chefs as well. You can really get a feel for the restaurant. Alas, only sold in France or on amazon.fr

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Many of the disappointing parts of the meal you described are things we have all unhappily endured from time to time. But I am literally flabbergasted that anyone would try to reuse a wine bottle except in the well-understood case of a house 'pot' or as a pichet. It is unquestionably fraud.

(I was insensed enough years ago when 'madame', a 'bonne maman', gave us recycled single serving jam jars at breakfast.)

Have any other readers had such an occurrance?

[bushey]

Tarte Tatin,

Sorry you had to endure a miserable first evening in Paris, but after an inauspicious start, I hope the rest of your trip was wonderful!

We had a similar, though not quite so dismal, experience once when we entered the restaurant where we had reserved a table and got a distinct "buses welcome here" vibe. But, our friends had already arrived and were having a drink and they liked the menu. There were plenty of other patrons, some French, some American, but I wish I had followed my instinct to say "let's find someplace else".

One of my favorite stories is how my friend confronted the owner/manager of a small bistro she felt wasn't up to the quality it should have been -- we're talking canned fruit here. She said in a very loud voice "C'est etait crap!" and used lots of hand motions and indignant looks to make up for her shortcomings in French fluency. I can't quite recall what the remedy was, but I can quite imagine the stunned look on their faces when they encountered her wrath. At the very least, she gained the respect of the other patrons.


Would love to hear more about the flat you rented -- I love the rue Cherche Midi area.

[TarteTatin]

I would never use Frommer as a guide; much too commercial, and there have been rumblings as to just how impartial their resto recs are...

For a terrific source, get the Pudlo; terrific descriptions of not only the food, but the ambience and the chefs as well.  You can really get a feel for the restaurant.  Alas, only sold in France or on amazon.fr

We never do use Frommers, but in our 'decalage horaire' we succumbed to the pressure of our friends. And also, we didn't want to be too pushy with them that first night, as we had taken the bedroom.

[pim]

Oh dear. Sorry you had such a horrid time. Next time you are looking for something in that hood, walk down rue de Flerus to blvd. Raspail, turn left, and a couple more blocks to rue Ste.Beuve on the left. On that little street is the postage stamp-sized Le Timbre. A cute little gem of a bistro. You'll get far better food there, and much better service too.

Edited by pim, 18 November 2005 - 12:36 AM.

[Ptipois]

We asked for the bill, paid and left. Total cost for the night 201.60 Euros including 23 EUROS for the escargot which looked to be priced at 13 Euros on the menu.

Oh dear, you didn't pay for this, I hope.
Thanks for all the info. I have never heard of that bistrot in my whole life.

[bleudauvergne]

My goodness. Sounds like you had a horrid meal. Did your friends notice about the wine too?

[robert brown]

E-mail the restaurant this topic

[42390]

This place is in the Patricia Wells book. I ate there 4 or 5 years ago and found the food to be good but not exceptional. I recall the prices being high. Seems like I spent about 95e for a plate of asparagus with herb vinagrette, coq au vin, cheese, grand marnier souffle, and a demi of an 85 bordeaux of some sort. The night I ate there only 2 other people were present.

Sounds like the Grammonds need to retire.

[Ptipois]

Sounds like the Grammonds need to retire.

Sounds like they can afford it.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

This place is in the Patricia Wells book. I ate there 4 or 5 years ago and found the food to be good but not exceptional. I recall the prices being high. Seems like I spent about 95e for a plate of asparagus with herb vinagrette, coq au vin, cheese, grand marnier souffle, and a demi of an 85 bordeaux of some sort. The night I ate there only 2 other people were present.

Sounds like the Grammonds need to retire.

Or Patricia Wells

Sounds like they can afford it.

So can she!

[Ptipois]

Or Patricia Wells

Sounds like they can afford it.

So can she!

Exactly.

[TarteTatin]

My goodness.  Sounds like you had a horrid meal.  Did your friends notice about the wine too? 

No, they didn't, and I refrained from mentioning it until we had left and were walking back to our flat. I believe if I had said something it would have gotten extremely ugly in the restaurant. I rather wish that I had asked Madam for the label. I would have liked to have seen her reaction.

Pim - thanks for the recommendation for Le Timbre - we'll try it when we're back at Christmas.

[TarteTatin]

We asked for the bill, paid and left. Total cost for the night 201.60 Euros including 23 EUROS for the escargot which looked to be priced at 13 Euros on the menu.

Oh dear, you didn't pay for this, I hope.
Thanks for all the info. I have never heard of that bistrot in my whole life.

Yes, we paid - I really didn't want to get into a dispute with inadequate French at my disposal. The food wasn't 'off', just overpriced and disappointing nor was the wine corked - just a jug wine masquerading as something it was not.

If the restaurant had a web site and an email address, I'd write to them, but as to sending them a letter, I just don't feel it is worth the effort. Far better to vent here on eGullet and Frommers. I reckon that by getting the word out on the web it'll do far more than any letter of complaint I would write to the restaurant. And I think that even if I did write to them, they wouldn't do a thing about it. Unlike the time we had a really bad time at Chez Panisse back in the 80's - I wrote a letter outlining the problems we had and got a letter of apology back from Alice Waters along with a refund of the bill, apart from the wine.

Edited by TarteTatin, 19 November 2005 - 04:21 PM.

[Nancy HM]

Just got back last night from five wonderful days in Paris. Stayed in the 6th at L'Hotel Abbaye and enjoyed several wonderful meals. But the best was at L'Os de Moelle in the 15th. Six delicious courses, beautifully served and presented, and the restaurant itself is very pretty and the skate was the most delicious I've ever eaten) . Also enjoyed two meals at Au Bon Saint Pourcain in the 6th. Especially enjoyed the house wine and the Poulet Estragon.

Take a pass on the highly recommended Au Gourmand. Maybe it was just me, but I thought the meal ordinary. Lovely waiter, tho.

[John Whiting]

This, for me, is a very sad thread. My own experience, almost five years ago, was of history come alive. I went there on the recommendation of someone whose judgement I trusted (and still trust), and was not disappointed.

Was this a one-off disaster? The evidence of the wine bottle could not be refuted except by calling the author a liar. (My own Chassagne Montrachet 1978 could not possibly have been tampered with.)

Alas, when operatic sopranos can no longer sail the high "c"s, they are sometimes given a bit of technological assistance. (Kirsten Flagstad, in her Tristan with Furtwängler, had two of them interpolated by Elizabeth Schwartzkopf.)

I have incorporated a link to this thread in my ecstatic memory of Chez Gramond. Diners should not be led astray by nostalgia.

[TarteTatin]

Just saw the new Frommers in Barnes and Noble. The recommendation for Chez Gramond is unchanged.

I know that guidebooks take some time to catch up to reality, but it would appear that Frommers just doesn't take into account postings on their own message boards.

In addition, a friend of a friend wandered into Chez Gramond and had an almost identical experience to the one we had in November. Our friend hadn't warned her about the place.

Edited by TarteTatin, 04 June 2006 - 08:23 PM.

[fresh_a]

That's why they publish notes like this on their website reviews.....



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