pierre45

There are so many .It all depends on whether you want to have a view of the eiffel tower ,then its champs de Mars ,or a view of notre dame and the seine ,then its quai de grds augustins or perhaps go to a place unchanged in 400 years and have a picnic at place voges. Perhaps you want some privacy then go to an island in the seine river allee des cygnes.

Too late .we are booked at swn-y -mor in a sea view room. What's OAP'ers.? WE are seeking something different from the sophisticated urban places such as paris or new york where we live.

THank you for your help.We have 2 days and we don't have a car.Our concern was arrival by train from bristol and return to london.We also don't know the area.

Its easy to be liked when one meets new people in France. Be friendly,interested ,positive and specially be yourself.

WE shall be spending a few days in each of those cities in late june. We are looking for worthy restautants that use good qualiy ingredients and have skillful chefs without having us brake the bank.Ethnic is fine ,except for french.

My experience with the various sommelier in 2 to 3 star restaurants is that they try to match the wine with the food with the idea of generating the max revenue to the establishment . Like anywhere its buyers beware,specially with the average cost about 80-90 euros/bottle. I describe what i am looking for and give Euro/bottle figure and often i am not happy with their suggestion.I don't think they are familiar with every bottle that's listed.So it pays to ask them the basis for their recommendation.Good luck miliar

Michel Rostang is no longer a worhy restaurant.Its old history and expensive. There are huge # of restaurants that are much better. Please check the french forum and choose a restaurant in line with your tastes. ← Sorry i picked your thread before it appeared under the french forum. Milles excuses

Michel Rostang is no longer a worhy restaurant.Its old history and expensive. There are huge # of restaurants that are much better. Please check the french forum and choose a restaurant in line with your tastes.

Yes, they had the Cornas Chaillots 2004, Cornas Reynards 2004 and Cornas sans SO2 2004 from Thierry Allemand. They also had several Cornas from Pierre Clape. The next event will be the Loire on June 2. ← Wow.I wish i was there.I am so jealous. IS there any discussions of the wines by the tasters and the wine makers?

Lucky FElice .Souds like a great event Thierry Allemand and domaine gramenon are top notch.Did they offer any wines from cornas?

Are you by passing Paris? There are some worthy winebars in the capital

I'd hate to put a curse on that table but it is the very best in order to watch Daniel work, listen to his iPod selections, and chat a bit when he's not pressed.And welcome to posting on the France Forum Daniel, we need another informed voice from the piano. ← Specially since his music taste seems quite similar to mine

Totally agree with Margaret.Unfortunately quite often i find that the chefs are not consistent,specially with a time lag.I guess its human nature .Also quality of ingredients may not be the same .Once in a while the whole experience is better. Perhaps we may be different as well.C'est la vie.

I never understood camdeborde's approach of creating hype through his "booking policy"(no vacancy for the next 3 months).Specially when a few times i just walked in at prime time .

All these food pairings is the result of some innovative cooking or happenstenance in the past that caught on and became tradional cuisine.

Because potatoes were cooked in the most readily available fat, i.e. rendered fat from the duck or goose, and it was pan-frying, not deep-frying. Also because a final sprinkling of raw garlic had to be added to the potatoes, and the greasy, sticky pommes sarladaises would hold the garlic and absorb its flavor better than frites would. Also, frites are a rather recent invention, whether they were invented in Paris or in Belgium or — as some say — in Brittany, they are not part of traditional Southwestern culture. Frites are now everywhere but they have to be understood as a very urban preparation. They are, historically, city food. So very foreign to cassoulet, which is a country dish. As for the cassoulet, what you should ask is not "why the beans with the meats?" but rather "why the meats with the beans?", because — a very important, much overlooked fact —, historically and for economic reasons, cassoulet is not a dish of various meats on a bed of beans but rather a dish of beans with something on top, i.e. whatever was to be grabbed around, so depending on the location any preserved meat that was made. Hence the differences between cassoulets. The antique, primitive versions of cassoulet (broad beans with salt pork) are here to testify. Beans are not a side dish in cassoulet. They are the very nature of the dish, and confit and sausages and etc. are just added things. Even in the late 19th century a cassoulet for poor people was composed only of beans and some pork rinds for added mellowness. ← Excellent explaination with a historic perspective,not only about frites and cassoulet but also about Parmentier discussed on the next thread.

I too am delighted it's still good. I stopped going a few years ago, I don't know quite why but it sounds great still. ← I echo John.I have been there at least 6 times in the past (Its in my neighborhood),but stopped going there because one has so many options in Paris. Incidentally ,on my last visit i had a long conversation with mr Chirac's chef,who was dining there and said that he loves the place .

John, this begs a question I have worried for some time, and here is as good a place as any to pose it. Since the umbrella for the France forum is "Restaurants, Cuisine and Travel", I have wondered why travel related but food unrelated questions and observations have been consistently disallowed since most of us travel to eat! I have no quibble if general travel discussion is banned, but should not the heading then be changed? I have scanned the "Food Traditions & Culture" forum, and find it a very unnatural place to post about country-specific travel. Perhaps the powers that be can explain. ← I am not the power . However i think John very aptly wants the focus on food. Unless e gullet is a tourist info center.Then i truly will apologize. To be honnest i have often wondered as to why people don't do their homework like all of us and seek everything to be given to them on a silver platter.What's worse of course, often they ignore the recommendations. A bon entendeur,salut.(a line from Montaigne)

Post #17 participating member Posts: 180 Joined: 27-May 04 Member No.: 18,682 Here is a run down of the various restaurants in florence that we ate at recently..Many are based on the recommendations that i have received. The order of the listing is based on merit. -Beccofino.The best in terms of cuisine ,service and space.The food is modern tuscan.Tasty and somewhat sophisticated.Prices only 10% higher than a regular trattoria. -Sostanza.Unbeleivable florentin steak,juicy,cooked as specified(med rare).tender .Puts NY's Luger to shame.Pastas also were wonderful. -Da caffagio.An old family run tratoria that provides very tasty pastas .Best value in Florence .Appetizer and main for 17.5 euros.Decent montepulciano rosso at 12 euros -Il santo Bevitore.Popular with locals.Tasty pastas and excellent cold cuts -Camillo.Excellent for fried food such as squash blossom,calf brain ,etc -Osteria del cinghiale bianco.Wild bear dishes is the thing here.Quite good -Cavalo Nero.Unsuccesful rendition of modern tuscan cuisine.Expensive Overall food is simple but quite decent in Florence despite the dominance of the tourists.Its wall to wall people everywhere ,even in March.But its time travel, the city takes you back to the Italian Renaissance period .

I have been to La Cave many times and have always made a reservation. I don't think I have been in the last two years though, so maybe something has changed. ← Today,they have 2 seatings.19h30 and 21.30.Early reservation advisable. Food at best is average.Good wine selection at retail cost.Friedly communal table .Big plus when dining solo.

Here is a run down of the various restaurants in florence that we ate at recently..Many are based on the recommendations that i have received. The order of the listing is based on merit. -Beccofino.The best in terms of cuisine ,service and space.The food is modern tuscan.Tasty and somewhat sophisticated.Prices only 10% higher than a regular trattoria. -Sostanza.Unbeleivable florentin steak,juicy,cooked as specified(med rare).tender .Puts NY's Luger to shame.Pastas also were wonderful. -Da caffagio.An old family run tratoria that provides very tasty pastas .Best value in Florence .Appetizer and main for 17.5 euros.Decent montepulciano rosso at 12 euros -Il santo Bevitore.Popular with locals.Tasty pastas and excellent cold cuts -Camillo.Excellent for fried food such as squash blossom,calf brain ,etc -Osteria del cinghiale bianco.Wild bear dishes is the thing here.Quite good Overall food is simple but quite decent in Florence despite the dominance of the tourists.ITs wall to wall people everywhere ,even in March.But the city takes you back to the Italian Renaissance period ,just like time travel.

Le Bistral is one of the best bistrot in the 17e, period. It was discussed on this board recently.

I have. Nice but... underspiced (and I'm not such a phrik fan, if I daresay). I recommend Le Banyan (15e) very warmly. ← I love Le banyan as well.Its no wonder since its recommended by Ptipois. It has new ownership and i wonder whether its as good. ANother good one in the 15e is Kim Anh ,ave emile zola 49

Le Reminet’s new team has finally taken over and it’s been reviewed in this week’s Figaroscope where Emmanuel Rubin gave it only one heart, stating that it’s gone from “bistronomique” to touristy, saying it is not ”totally bad” and giving the price as 50-60 € with a 50 € menu at dinner (that’s a sizeable increase). ← I am surprised that no one has mentionned FISH on rue de seine- and comptoir d'Odeon.All in the 6th.You just shaw up .No reservation.

Merci milles fois Divina.Bientot ca va etre la cuisine toscane.Soul food de la regione comme vous dites.