pirate

My choice would be between L'Ambroisie and Le Bristol, which now has 3 Michelin stars. L'Ambroisie is excellent but cool and austere if you're not known. Wine list is weak compared to Le Bristol. Service and welcome at Le Bristol are first class and the oval winter dining room is beautiful.

I've had excellent grilled beef dishes in France as well as poor ones. But the most unusual and spectacular one occurred at L'Arpege. It was in 1986. Three of us, all Americans, were dining for the third time that week at L'Arpege. Instead of handing out menus we were told that Alain Passard would serve us a special dinner. Perhaps because we were Americans, the main was STEAK, served quite rare and unembellished. Not at all fatty, delicious and memorable. Started with Passard's lobster entree and finished with his chocolate feuillete.

Felix: Your remark induced me to post. Then the genetic relation of the Comt\'e cheese cows induced the next post. Comt\'e is considered to be related to Swiss gruyere (I had Rolf Beeler's version of the latter for lunch today). Let me note that at the International Cheese Awards 2009 in Nantwich (Cheshire, England) last July Von Muhlenen's Le Gruyere Premier Cru produced and matured for 14 months in Fribourg won Best Single Specialty Cheese (LTS Litmann Trophy), Best imported cheese "Supreme Champion Overseas", Reserve Supreme Champion. Nantwich is regarded as the top international cheese event

More from Wikipedia the Simmental breed has contributed to the creation of several other famous European breeds including the Montbeliarde (France) and (checking Comt\'e cheese) The AOC regulations state that: * Only milk from Montbéliarde cows are permitted, and each must have at least a hectare of grazing.

Simmental Cattle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Simmental are a versatile breed of cattle originating in the valleys of the Simme river, in the Bernese Oberland of western Switzerland.

Lievre a la Royale is as the name implies a royal dish. The was no recipe in Escoffier's Guide Culinaire but going back to the 19th century, there is a recipe in Ali Bab. It utilizes a rather large hare, foie gras truffles etc. and is a kind of cross between a civet and daube. The recipe is for 10 to 12 diners and clearly meant for royal affairs. As time wore on the recipe has been debauched. In the last century Madame Saint-Ange states: (a rough translation) Professionals affirm that they do not have a definitive recipe for lievre a la royale;so there are numerous and very disimilar recipes, some marked by a bit of extreme fantasy. She offers a reasonable recipe. Perhaps Hirsch should gather 9 to 11 friends and order well in advance the royal dish as in Ali-Bab. Served, since the recipe in Ali Bab uses a high grade burgundy. with a double magnum of a Cote de Nuits grand cru red.

I recalled M.F.K. Fisher's stay in Dijon and checked her connection with Le Pre aux clercs on Google and found this item: M.F.K.—web site sponsored by Les Dames d'Escoffier International. Fisher learned much about food and cooking from the chef at the famous Dijon restaurant Trois Faisons (Three Pheasants). The original restaurant did not survive World War II, but combined with another old establishment, Le Pre aux Clercs. Le Pre aux Clercs-Trois Faisons (13 place de la Liberation, Dijon, 03-80-38-05-05) remains one of the finest purveyors of Burgundy cuisine.

Le Pre aux Clercs, I believe, has a long gastronomic history. Unfortunately I don't have references.

I only shop there to purchase high end teas. I am definitely not a client of tea salons

I like Le Palais des Th\'es.

I had the lowest priced lunch menu. I can only report my isolated experiences which one cannot claim are representative.

I had lunch at Le Cinq in its early years under Legendre as the chef. Very poor food but at that time they had a matching wine option; that was magnificent. The sommelier at that time is now the manager of the restaurant. Lunch improved under Briffard ( I dined there in December) but it wasn't as good as his previous stint at L'Elysees or before that at the Relais Plaza. Wine list is still exceptional and it would be the only attraction for me to return. A lunch a few days later at Le Bristol was excellent and superior to Le Cinq. I'm not surprised by their promotion to 3 rosettes. Le Cinq was more than half empty; Le Bristol was full. Natural light on one side facing a courtyard.

Trust Robert Brown. Sage advice.

Thank you for the information. You've explained why the NYC Atelier was so good.

Food Snob, I immensely enjoy your posts on this forum. On Saturday I depart the USA for my required annual visit to the Oxford University Press and will stop for a few days in London before returning, so I've been recently devouring your posts on London restaurants, too. If I remember correctly, the Atelier in Tokyo opened before the one in Paris. I dined at Jamin with a wine and food loving friend in 1986. I was much more impressed with Passard's cuisine at L'Arpege at that time.. I've never wanted to dine at the Tokyo and Paris Ateliers. The one in New York received very reliable reviews and in the last two years I've enjoyed the food there twice.

L'Osier in Tokyo is my absolute favorite three Michelin starred restaurant. Thanks robyn for mentioning it.

Let me relate how valuable a concierge from a top hotel is. Last October I stayed at the Peninsula Tokyo. L'Osier is a French restaurant in Tokyo which has three Michelin stars and is exceedingly difficult to book. At 10:30 one morning I asked a concierge to make a reservation for lunch. As I waited she turned from the phone and said they were fully booked and did I want to be put on a waiting list. I said no; I don't get on waiting lists. We were briefly discussing another restaurant when the phone rang. It was L'Osier; they had a cancellation. I had an excellent lunch, certainly on a par foodwise with its peers in Paris, but far superior in ambiance and comfort. Their dining room is upstairs with the reception on the ground floor. When I left the chef, who was French and spoke English, came down to the reception and chatted with me about the food. It was obvious they all knew I was staying at the Peninsula.

sethd is quite correct in stating that the concierge staff at the palace hotels are a huge help. That's one of the reasons for staying there. Apart from that let me resurrect two old egullet posts that emphasize debrouilliardisme, From 2002 I think:: My one intersection with Ambroisie. A friend and I were staying near the Louvre. She being an opera fan, we decided to walk to the new Bastille Opera and buy tickets. It was before lunch and a warmish overcast November day in 1997 and I was wearing an open shirt and slacks, no jacket, under a raincoat. On the way I mentioned Ambroisie was a short detour and we could stop and ask about lunch. We did. It was just about noon and given our appearance the maitre d'hotel looked us over sceptically when we told him we told him we wanted to lunch there and would be back after buying our opera tickets. He acceded hesitatingly probably quickly calculating the possibility of the empty table being populated by better prospects. We came back about a half hour later and were seated in the front room at a central table in all our casual American dress. Neither of us is fond of most "nouvelle cuisine" and we decided to have a cote de boeuf for two and a bottle of Cahors. We refused to have an entree or dessert and only added cheese to finish the wine. The beef, wine and cheeses were excellent. We ate what we wanted and warded off all the blandishments put to us. We loved the new opera house had good seats purchased the same day and enjoyed the production we saw that night. Added comments to my earlier post. It was the room you first enter and that seems to be the front room. Perhaps all the tables in Siberia were reserved by Americans far in advance. At that time one got 4.8FF to a dollar so the 650FF beef dish alone came to $135. It was boeuf de Salers and served with pommes de terre souflees and a marrow bone. If we had made a reservation well in advance we would probably have come hungrier and ordered more. We ate what we wanted and isn't that what restaurants are for. Alas I'm a born d'ebrouillard. I refuse to be intimidated by restaurant personnel and I get respect for my knowledge of food and wine. You might want to check my post earlier this month about lunch at Le Bristol for another encounter.

The change of command for Michelin is intriguing. Of course judgment is reserved until the next few editions of the guide appear. However I wholeheartedly support the change.

Not much further is Le Pain Quotiden in the Marche St.Honore . However I would range further to the Kayser cafe on Bd. Malesherbes, Here are some Zagat comments http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/PropertyDet...?VID=8&R=102423 If you go to the food floor of Galeries Lafayette which is closer in, Kayser is there but also Dalloyau (which is top notch) and I believe there are counters at which you can eat.

I'm winding down my stay in Paris. I'm staying at Le Meurice and decided yesterday to lunch at the gastronomic restaurant in house today. I got a menu last night and, after studying it, decided it wasn't interesting enough and canceled this morning. I decided to give Frechon at Le Bristol a try. I didn't reserve and just showed up. Fully booked. I apologized to the Manager. He said there was only a table for five available. I suggested he move a party for three there. He did and that started the best meal I've had in Paris in many years. It was the prix fixe 95 euro menu. Varied pre-amuses were all interesting and delicious bites. Amuse was a beetroot jelly with a ham flavored mousse -exceptionally good. The entree, a cold mackerel in jelly with a horseradish cream,was beautifully done as was the hen pheasant main. The latter was of exceptional quality and roasted still slightly pink. There was a predessert and I had a coffee ice cream based dessert. Excellent gracious service. The restaurant was full with me there. There were only 16 diners when I lunched at Ledoyen last week and I would not recommend dining there.

It was believed to be the economy. A concierge, one of a large corps, at my hotel called Ledoyen yesterday afternoon for a reservation for lunch today for me alone and it was made. Never on previous trips was this possible. Le Meurice restaurant is thriving as far as I can tell.

← The service at Le Cinq was excellent. With regard to the Le Dali, a couple from Rome sitting at an adjacent table voiced the same opinion of the food and service there. I think that a restaurant with Michelin acclaim should have the same standards of excellence for all meals and all clients. I like Guy Savoy although the quantity of food is overwhelming.

I'm headed for Paris in early December. I don't make restaurant reservations more than a day in advance so your comments are of great interest. I'm staying at a hotel with a three Michelin rosette restaurant. It will be easy to glance in and check the occupancy daily.. ← I checked into the Le Meurice hotel yesterday just about lunchtime and had a late lunch at Le Dali restaurant there which is also supervised by Alleno who looked into the room a couple of times. Service poor. Food mediocre. Definitely over priced . I'm so angry that I probably won't eat at the gastronomic restaurant. . Le Dali was basically full as was the Le Meurice restaurant. I booked Le Cinq at the Four Seasons for lunch today It was half full. Lunch was uneven. Nothing stood out foodwise but a half bottle of a 2005 Santenay was very good, The manager was the sommelier a few tears ago and the wine list is large and interesting. and includes many non-French wines. I think that the economy is taking its toll and the Michelin and the other guides will need significant revision.

I was puzzled by your so very brief message. The website http://epicures.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/la-chevre-dor-eze/ was well worth checking. I haven't ever dined there, but your post is testimony that the restaurant is touristy.