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Yes, I was in the area once and made a reservation in person for the next night. When I arrived I was told they did not have a table for me. I guessed this was a case of a single customer being bumped for a full table.

I ate at Cap Vernet about 3 years ago and loved it. I would have been back but there are always so many other places to try. Some tables have a nice view of the Arc d'Triomphe. Another Savoy bistro I liked quite a bit was the Bisto de l'Etoile Lauriston. It is in the same general area as Cap Vernet.

A very good and reasonably priced bistro in the 5th that has a no smoking section similar to what you find in US restaurants is Chez Rene at 14 Blvd St Germain, metro Cardinal Lemoine. Fully half of this restaurant is marked no smoking and the floor plan is such that you do not get smoke drifting over from the other part. The food here is Lyonnaise style bistro classics. I have eaten there 3 times and find it far better than the lukewarm endorsement P. Wells gives it in her guide. You will find waiters in black aprons serving well made coq au vin, pike quenelles, boeuf bourgenon, etc. The wine list is heavy with the different forms of Beaujolais; mostly vigneron indpendant bottlings of Chenas, Morgon, Brouilly, Juleinnais, Moulin A Vent, etc. In fact with a party of 8 you could easily conduct a nice tasting of these various sub appellations of beaujolais. On one visit I sat next to a local couple who struck up a conversation. They said they ate there at least weekly and were very gracious, asking that a special degustation of chevre be brough to their table and then began giving me samples and a lesson on goat cheese. Please consider this restaurant during your visit. You can get a full dinner, 3 courses, wine, water, coffee here for about 50-60E per person. Other than this, le Procope, 13 Rue Anciene Comedie, in the 6th, metro Odeon, said to be the oldest restaurant in Paris, has a no smoking area upstairs. Some on this board will deride Procope, as it is now part of a chain. I have eaten there a number of times, however, and while it does get its share of tourists, you will find many locals there as well. They make a big deal out of this restaurant's literary past, with some momentos on display from some of their famous clientele from the past. I have found the food to be well prepared and quite satisfying. Although this is not a gastronomic restaurant, it is listed in the Michelin Red Guide. They have a web site with their menu posted. I do not remember the exact URL but there is a link to it at www.dininginfrance.com. Pricing will also be about 50-60E for everything. Another possibility is la Mediterranee located on the Place de Odeon right across from the Odeon theatre in the 6th. As I recall it is fairly well segmented for non smokers. You may want to call them and ask. They also have a web site, www.la-mediterranee.com, with menu posted. Pricing is similar, maybe a bit higher than those listed above especially if you stray from the fixed menu selections. This restaurant is more elegant than you might expect for the price range, the walls are painted with original murals by Berard and Vertes. Various original artwork by J. Cocteau are on display as he was a friend of the original owners. It is open 7 days per week, with outside dining available in the spring/summer. The no smoking section of most Paris restaurants, if any, is just a few tables without ashtrays. I do agree with what another poster indicated, in that at the high end, starred places, you usually do not get smoked out as at the bistros. Maybe the clientele is more considerate, I do not know, but smoking is much less of a problem at the gastronomic restaurants. The price is way higher too, expect to drop at least 150E per person for dinner at a restaurant with a star in the Red Guide.

If you are really firm on your $100 price target, you really should consider lunch. Given the weakness of the US dollar, I do not think you will be able to eat dinner at any of the starred restaurants for that price. On the other hand, you can have a feast at many of the 1 and 2 stars, including wine for right about that price. Note that the well priced lunch menus at the 3 stars such as Lucas Carton and Grand Vefour are for food only. After wine, water, coffee, perhaps an aperitif, you can easily double the food price. Please consider 2 star Jamin. At lunch they have a menu for about 45e with the add ons I mentioned above you are right at 100$. For dinner at most of the starred restaurants I think about 130-150$ is a more reasonable expectation.

Do write about it. I will be happy to relate my experience at l'Auberge: I drove to Illhaeusern using driving direction printed out from the Via Michelin web site. It is a tiny little town but I found it without too much trouble. As you drive through the main street through Illhaeusern, as soon as you cross a bridge over the Ill, the Auberge is immediately to your right. Upon entry I was warmly greeted and asked if I would like to sit in the garden while reviewing the carte. How could one refuse? The garden is fabulous, reaching from the back of the house down to the banks of the Ill. Willows bend down to the water's edge, beautiful flowers are in abundance, some swans were passing by in the river, fishermen were leisurely plying the river in narrow wooden boats. The setting here is stunning. I was seated at a table in the garden, ordered champagne, and the carte was brought out. Two amuse were served in the garden. The carte features a section devoted to dishes that helped build l'Auberge's reputation over the years (salmon souffle, truffe sous la cendre) along with some more modern offerings. Two fixed price menus were available, one for 108 euros and another called the menu Haberlin for 135 euros. I settled on the 108e menu and made the following choices: Truffled terrine of foie gras (one of their signature dishes), wine: vendage tardive gewurtztraminer Turbot in crustacean broth, wine: local riesling Medallions of lamb in "habit verte", wine: volnay Cheese Chocolate cromesqieu, wine: banyuls I do not have my menu with me now, so I regret that I am not acurately relaying the names of these dishes. I asked for wines by the glass to accompany each. Another amuse was served in the dining room, then the real food began to appear. The terrine of foie gras was presented at the table then a portion was scooped out onto a plate and presented at my table. This was a simple yet highly delicious dish. It was served with toasted bread that was unbelieveable good. I guess details like the world's best toast is what gets you three stars. The turbot was cooked with skin crispy, flesh tender and juicy. The crustacean broth was appropriately smooth and rich. This dish was quite good too. A few days before, however, I had something very similar at Auberge du Cheval Blanc, and I think their's was a bit better, but I can't say why. The lamb medallions in habit verte were with pistacio crust. The meat was cooked perfectly rose, served with potato puree with black olives and baby vegetables. This dish was experrtly prepared but, as with much of what you get here, not cutting edge cooking. The cheese cart was spectacular. I took a degustation of chevre, five different goat cheeses in various stages of affiniation along with roquefort, munster, and cantal. Some fig bread was served with the chevre and it was extrordinarily good. After cheese a tray of tuiles, miniature fruit tarts, and macrons arrived, soon followed by the main dessert. The chocolate cromesqieu was very dense chocolate preparation encased in thin pastry that had been carmelized and was very crunchy. It was served with a fine vanilla ice cream. After all this I moved back to the garden for coffee. I tool a seat at a small table immediately at the edge of the river and sat back to enjoy a spectacular late summer afternoon. The sky was clear and blue, the small river Ill peaceful. With coffee came various chocolates and some small balls of praline ice cream that were dipped in bitter chocolate. I arrived for lunch at 12:00 and left at 5:00. The total price was 169 euros. I would go again, no question, if the opportunity arose. The cooking here is not cutting edge by any stretch, just expertly prepared classic cuisine in a wonderful, almost bucolic setting. The Haberlin family is everywhere. Daddy Haberlin, who I am guessing must be over 80 years old, made his way through the gardens and dining rooms greeting guests, for instance. When I left, I asked for a menu, and they eagerly gave me a copy of the 108e menu I had ordered from as well as the carte. This was an exceptional afternoon.

I had the opportunity to visit the following Alsace restaurants last month: Auberge de l'Ill (3 star) Le Cerf (2 star) Auberge du Cheval Blanc (2 star) Au Crocodile (2 star) Among this list I would eagerly return to all except Crocodile. I may have ordered poorly, but just did not think it was equal to the others. Le Cerf is only 10 to 15 miles to the west of Strasbourg and would be a great spot for dinner. The cooking there is very good, as chef Husser trained with Bocuse, Haberlin and Senderins. The dining room, however, was the least elegant in the group listed above. There is an attached hotel, but I did not stay there. Auberge du Cheval Blanc was also wonderful. It was harder to find, as it is located way out in the country in a town named Lembach, way north of Strasbourg. They had an attached hotel too, but I did not stay there either. Perhaps the best discovery of this trip was not in France but right across the Rhine in the Black Forest. I had dinner at the Restaurant Bareiss (2 star) located in the Hotel Bareiss in the town of Mittletal-Tonbach. The Germans here out did the French at their own game, serving up meticulously prepared classic cuisine. It is probably 40 miles east of Strasbourg and well worth seeking out. Each of these (except Bareiss, I think) has their own web site showing their current menu. Dinner ran about 140 euros (food,wine,water,coffee) at each of these except Auberge de l'Ill where lunch was closer to 170.

markk - Thanks so much for this information. I was wondering about Le Cerf and will now add it to my dining schedule.

I have a lunch reservation at l'Auberge de l'Ill on 27 September and am looking forward with great anticipation.

Tell us about Cafe Constant. I always liked Violon D' Ingres, is it similar? When did it open?

I have never eaten there, but Faugeron has a web site, www.faugeron.com where they allow you to make reservations on line.

I will be working in Stuttgart in September and am hoping to visit some of the starred restaurants in Alsace. Can anyone provide recommendations on the following? Julien, 1 star, Strasbourg Vielle Enseigne, 1 star, Strasbourg Cerf, 2 star, Marlenheim Auberge du Cheval Blanc, 2 star, Wissembourg and in Germany: Restaurant Bareiss, 2 star, Mitteltal Schwarzwaldstube, 3 star, Tonbach I have seen plenty of postings about Auberge de l'Ill, Buerehiesel & l'Arnsbourg so I am curious about some of the lesser known place in Alsace. Thanks

Not a starred place, but Les Bouchons de Francois Clerc, Rue Hotel Colbert, claims to have the lowest priced wine list in France. I do not reacall any Bordeaux 1st crus on the list but plenty of 2nd and 3rds at prices one half to one third what you would pay at most restaurants. The cooking is good too but not at the star level.

If you are still planning to be in the Montparnasse area, I found Monsieur Lapin (Michelin Bibb Gourmand) on Rue Raymond Losserand to be excellent. Dinner should be 40-45 euros per person plus wine. I think you will be hard pressed to find a decent hotel (2 star as a minimum) in central Paris for less than about 90 euros for a double.

I had lunch at Hiramatsu about 6 weeks ago and thought it was fabulous. That was my second visit, having had dinner there about a year ago. The 50e lunch menu you mention is no longer available. Prices are now the same for both lunch and dinner. They have two tasting menus one for 92e and another for 130e. Their website has the menu posted so you can see the prices and what is available before you go. I made my reservation through their website. Here is their web address: www.hiramatsu.co.jp I have never been to Astrance so can't compare the two but I do very much like Hiramatsu. I did notice some significant price inflation on their menu from last year's to this year's visit. I described this lunch in a post a few weeks ago titled something like "Great Value Lunch" that started off about eating at l'Angle du Faubourg but ended up on Hiramatsu. Also, when I was there I was the only English speaking person in the dining room. David

I ate at this restaurant during my last trip to Paris and thought it was worth a report: Le Bouchons de Francois Clerc is located on Rue Hotel Colbert in the 5th/6th area. I think this is a small chain because the menu mentioned another location somewhere in the area of the Arc de Triomphe. This restaurant is reputed to sell their wines at little or no markup. This does not mean that they sell cheap wines. Rather, the list is stacked with the products from well known producers / chateau but at prices that are SIGNIFICANTLY less than what you see at other places. The cooking was good too. The dining room has an exposed beam ceiling, much of the kitchen area is exposed where you can see various meats roasting on a spit. The tables have nice linnens, the service was kind of rushed but still pleasant. From the 41 euro menu I selected a crab salad, carre d'agneau, and moelleux d'chocolat. The crab salad consisted of round mold that had been layered on the bottom with a base of slightly wilted spinach. On top of this there was a layer of tomato confit, then a generous layer of crab meat, then a big pile of fresh herbs, mostly parsley and dill in vinagrette on top of that. A parmesean wafer was served with it. This dish was quite good and rivaled some things that I have had placed before me at starred restaurants. The carre d'agneau was perfectly cooked and had been crusted with a mustard / herb / breadcrumb mixture. This was very good too, my only complaint was that the three lamb chops were really small and cut thin so you did not get much. For wine I ordered a demi of Chassagne Montrachet (12 euros) that paired very well with the lamb. The cheese tray was only 6 euros, and I selected three pieces of chevre in various stages of affinage along with a piece of cantal. The moelleux d'chocolate is the individual sized chocolate cake with liquid chocolate center that I seemed to notice on just about every bistro menu I looked at during this last trip. This one was well executed with vanilla bean ice cream. I had a glass of beaumes de venise to go with it. I think this restaurant was a great value, especially the wine list. If you visit Paris and stay in the Latin Quarter area it is well worth adding to your dining schedule.

I had lunch at Jamin about 10 days ago. Here is a report: This 2 star is located on Rue Longchamp not far from the Trocadero. I made my reservation over the internet about 2 weeks in advance with no problem. The Guide Rouge lists email or websites for several of the starred restaurants. I have found that to be a convenient means for reserving. The dining room is beautiful with light green walls, upholstery in rose, lots of polished wood accents and fresh flowers. The service was wonderful, attentive without being overbearing. Two amuse were served, one a small leek and ham tart, another was described as chicken in the style of Thailand which was a small spring roll filled with chicken served with a pepper sauce. For lunch they had an offering called the Menu du Marche, 48 euros. This consisted of 3 plats en demi plus dessert from the chariot. First plat was a poached egg over a bed of lightly cooked spinach. The egg was covered by an elegant sauce that resembled bernaise. There were some asparagus spears on the plate along with a crispily cooked piece of jambon de Bayonne. Sauce Bordelaise was around the perimeter of the plate. I enjoyed this very much. The next plat was a piece of St Pierre over artichokes with a spicy pepper sauce. This was well executed but my least favorite of the three. The third plat was a fricassee of Bresse chicken sauced with its cooking juices along with legumes du printemp. This was outstanding. The chariot de desserts was a cart stocked with a selection of pristine tarts and freshly made ice creams. The waiter offered me a degustation, putting a small piece of each tart on my plate. These tarts were made from simple ingredients, chocolat, citron, etc but far superior to the products you get at even the best pastry shops in Paris. After the degustation, I accepted an offer of more of the chocolat tart with pistacio ice cream. This dessert was simple but fabulous. Very tasty chocolate truffles and orangettes came with coffee. For wine I had a demi of Madiran. Total price, 93 euros. This was a fabulous lunch, well priced, great service. I highly recommend Jamin to those who visit Paris. They also had an 80 euro tasting menu but I did not ask what it included.

I walked by and looked at l'atelier recently. Still lots of construction work in progress. I say they are lucky if open by 01 May.

Hiramatsu no longer has the menu d'affaires. The prices are the same for both lunch and dinner. I was not expecting this as just a few weeks ago when I reserved on their web site they were indicating both a 50 and 70 euro menu d'affaires. The 140 I spent was for one person. This place has increased prices across the board as compared to when I ate there a year ago. They have two tasting menus, one at 92e and another at 130e. Last year I had the 92 euro menu which offered 4 plats en demi, fromage + dessert. This year the 92 euro menu only includes 3 plats en demi. I did not ask what you get for 130e. Prices on the wine list have been increased too. This visit I ordered off the carte, and had foie gras with black truffle wrapped in steamed cabbage leaf in truffle sauce (I have never been to Lucas Carton, does this sound like their famous dish?) followed by cannette de chalans that had been both smoked and roasted. Dessert was a coffee flavored creme brulee with cannelle saboyon. For wine, I had champagne with the 3 amuse, and a demi of the cheapest of red on the list (25 euros), a Madiran, domaine Muzet or something like that. (nothing special) The cooking here I think is quite fabulous, just, as we say in the south, high as a cat's back.

Cabrales, my point about the pricing is that it is quite a good deal compared to some of the other one stars I have been to for lunch lately. For instance, Hiramatsu hit me for 140 euros last week, Jacques Cagna was over 70 as well as Violon d'Ingres.

There is a wondeful event called the salon de vignerons independants at espace champerret beginning Friday and going through the weekend. This is a tradeshow of independent wine producers. For the price of admission you get a small wine glass, then can go around to any of the hundreds of vignerons to taste what they have. I went last year and got the impression that most were there looking for contracts to supply restaurants, but all were more than happy to sell individual bottles. I have seen some restaurants giving out tickets to this event for free.

I just returned from lunch at l'Angle du Faubourg (one Micheline star). I found an excellent value of warm service, excellent pricing, and good cooking. I think the theme here must be simple ingredients well executed. One amuse was served, a small ramekin of some creamy goat (I think) cheese topped with a spoonful of tapenade. From the 35 euro (!!!) fixed price lunch menu, I had what the menu described as a croustillant of legumes, tuille parmesan, a salad of thinly sliced vegetables and various greens dressed with balsamic and olive oil. This was between two paper thin parmesan cookies, simple but tasty. The main was described as something like lange de veau, which turned out to be a thick veal chop that appeared to have been pan sauteed just perfectly, then cut in long thick, strips. This meat was fabulous, served with some whole roasted small shallots and some potatoes. Again, simple but very well done. The dessert as a tall glass with a mixture of red fruits on the bottom, then something like rice pudding, then vanilla ice cream on top of that. It was a tasty ending to quite a good lunch. The wine list has a good selections of wines by the glass. I had two glasses of red Samur Champigny (6 euros each). With coffee came chocolate truffles and pineapple pate de fruit. The bill for this repas? 56 euros. This may be the best value starred lunch in Paris. I highly recommend it to all who visit Paris.

I am arriving in Paris next week and have successfully booked the following restaurants by email or through their web sites: Hiramatsu Grand Vefour L'Angle du Faubourg Jamin l'Epi Dupin I think it is much more conveniet than faxing or phone calls. The online Michelin Red Guide has email addresses for some, although not nearly all, of the starred and Bibb Gourmand restaurants.

I found Chez Grammond to be a good experience, the Grammonds are excellents hosts, the dining room small and charming. However, I considered it a bit expensive for what you get. Last April I spent a little over 100e for a plate of asparagus, some coq au vin, some cheese, and a grand marnier souffle. I had a half bottle of 85 Medoc also. There was no amuse or the tiny desserts you usually get at the starred places. I was wondering how their business is too, the night I was there I had the dining room to myself. Michelin doesn't even give it a Bibb Gourmand. I think there is better value among a number of the Michelin one stars. But if you are looking for classic dishes, well prepared, go there, but be prepared to spend a bit.

I ran across Millet on Rue St Dominique one afternoon after having lunch at Violon d'Ingres, a few doors down. It is an outstanding pastry shop and their chocolates are quite good too. My favorite was the mini florentines, about 1.5 inches diameter. I now make a point to go there for the florentines any time I am in Paris. Patricia Wells mentions this store in the Foodlovers Guide. David

Try Au Bascou at 38 Rue Reamur, metro Arts & Metiers. Seems like the person who runs this bistro once worked at Au Trou Gascon and / or les Carre des Feuillants. The lamb is wonderful as is any number of the specialites they offer from the SW of France. They also have a well priced list of hearty wines (Jurancon, Irouleguy, Cahors, etc) from the SW. You can dine very well for only about 45E per person. I have been there twice and will certainly return on my next trip. Also, Bon Apetite magazine did an all Paris issue back in either April or May of 2001. One section was devoted to the baby bistros, the bistros operated by starred chefs. I think they mainly talked about the ones run by Guy Savoy, Bernard Loiseau and Michel Rostang. If you can find this magazine it is worth reading. David