fresh_a

Bellecour, is a great little gourmet restaurant in the 7th serving Lyonnais style food. They have one star in the Michelin Guide, and are not expensive...a great value.. Bath's is also a one-star, located on the rue de la Tremoille, near the Champs Elysees. Jean-Yves Bath once had a two-star in Clermond Ferrand, and decided to pack up and come to the big city.... their meats are excellent, and the veloute de lentilles with "bonbons" de foie gras (like potato puff-pastries, injected with foie gras) is amazing...

I imagine all that was on the menu...not actually what you ate... last I knew it was : an amuse-bouche, entree,plat,dessert for 85 Euros..

La Regalade is an excellent value, as is Chez Michel in the 10th...maybe the two best values in Paris

True that hospitality may vary greatly from country to country, however I'm surprised to hear that in a prestigious international chain of luxury hotels, that the standards would vary so much from country to country.. I'd really be interested in this hotel, and the chain it belongs too...

Just my two-cents worth, but I think it is very appropriate to tip in the top establishments, and most guests I know of would leave a MINIMUM of 10 Euros per head, probably more... As for only American tourists tipping 10% or more at top establishments, I can guarantee you that the vast majority of my clients (perhaps a reflection of their financial status) , American, French or otherwise tip 10% or more. In my experience, I can think of perhaps a handful of people working as waitstaff who actually get anything out of the service charge... I think I'll look into this further and report back...

Gagnaire and Jamin are excellent, although even with the lunch menu, Gagnaire is really pricey! Astrance is great value if you can get a table. Also the Bellecour is probably the best value in Paris for a one-star...if not, Bath's is a great one-star, and Guy Savoy a must in the three-star range.

Most of our clients appreciate fine wines, and although sometimes a bit tipsy, are rarely roaring drunk..

True, the original subject was how I am treated by the French, but the response was to a question concerning bad-mannered Americans...

Les Bookinistes is now Les Bouquinistes, and has had a little restyling lately...

I've always understood that the 19% tax on meals is like VAT, not a service charge. I don't know of anyone, even in top restaurants who get anything out of any service charge. This is definitely not a common practice. However people in top establishments have good salaries, not like in the US, where much of the time the salaries for restaurant workers is abysmal, and service staff need tips to survive.

Of course...but the subject was Americans...

In an administrative context, the service is included, but even in three-stars, this doesn't necessarily mean the staff has any advantage from this. I would tip 10%, but that's me. I think tipping more in the top establishments is common practice.. As for restaurants informing us on their tips, never.. this is a very discreet topic

Chef Concierge or Head Concierge... I hate "Concierge Manager"...

The Figaroscope is excellent.. the Time Out section of Pariscope is normally on the money, I read mostly the Michelin Guide and Zagat for ease of use, and , for the most part, I don't like any of the French gourmet magazines, however Elle a Table has had some good articles in the past. I like Gourmet and Bon Appetit, but they rarely have articles on Paris (To their respective editors: I AM available for any future articles you may want me to write!!!), and the Patricia Wells website is pretty good: Patricia Wells

There are many... in the 8th district, Chez Andre on the rue Marbeuf, and L'Avenue, on the avenue Montaigne are very popular... "Le Troyon" on the rue Troyon in the 17th is excellent , although unhappily, Jean-Marc Notelet (WATCH THIS NAME!) the chef-owner has left to pursue other projects, with, hopefully, a new restaurant in the 8eme soon... Bar des Theatres on the avenue Montaigne is inexpensive and casual..otherwise Ze Kitchen Gallerie is alot of fun, as is Allard, Bistrot d'a Cote, Les Bouquinistes (recented renames with different spelling), Le Balzar, and Chez Henri, Chez Michel, near the Gare du Nord, despite the ugly neighborhood has a great cuisine, these are just a few suggestions...

As I said before, most guests at our hotel know what level and type of establishment they want...If a client seems very cost-conscious (rare) we do indicate the approximate price of meals... Age,nationalitydon't really come into play much, as most of our guests are pretty cosmopolitan, knowledgable and have enough cash to pay for any meal in the city... We try to get as many details as possible, type of restaurant, casual, trendy, elegant, type of cuisine wished, classic, contemporary, etc. Close to the hotel, far from the hotel, dress code sometimes comes into play... there are a lot of different factors that play in making a reccomendation....often, we get the "feel" as well.... meaning a client will come and say , "I want something like this, and this", and immediately, we know where to send him...

No, I'm not at the conference.. They last varying times, normally a few days... a lot of the discussions concern the internal politics and procedures of the organization, intermixed with cocktails and dinners..

Not all Americans have bad manners, although, when we do come up against a spoiled American, it can be very disagreeable...

Really strange situation, though. I've never heard the like.... Then again, I've worked only as concierge in France....

Concerning starred restaurants in other hotels, I almost never call another concierge to make the reservation, I always contact the restaurant directly. Most guests prefer standalone restaurants, but , again, this depends on the guest's likes and dislikes... Robuchon's "Atelier" will not be accepting advance reservations as far as I've heard so far... first come, first serve... Geography depends.. if the client wants "something casual" like a brasserie or bistro, we have many in our approximate geographical area, and they prefer to walk... For higher quality gourmet establishments, they are capable of going as far as Reims, the Loire Valley, or even London or Barcelona! Concerning cellars, most **/*** have vastly adequate cellars, although Taillevent and the Tour d'Argent are extraordinary...

This was answered elsewhere. I read every guidebook and magazine possible, and get a lot of feedback from colleagues and friends

I have been asked to do illegal things such as purchase drugs, or arrange prostitutes, but refuse for professional (and moral reasons)

I'm treated very well by the French... I also work in a very cosmopolitan establishment, alongside people of all cultures and nationalities. I'm sometimes regarded as a bit of a curiosity with my accent (though perfect French), but this is perceived as being more "charming" by our French guests...

It's a shame, as it takes away their right to give the client their opinion and to creatively choose an establishment for them... Many clients come to the concierge to know HIS opinion, being a knowledgable local, and come to a hotel because of a concierge's character..not to have "agreed" restaurants chosen from a list. Does this hotel have a full-service concierge desk? If so, it'd be interesting to see what the concierge thinks about the hotel's various policies...

I would be extremely careful in calling restaurants too often. Calling too often could lose you your possibility of dining in certain establishments.... I can permit myself to bother restaurants from time to time, and with people I know, in a way that others may not be able to do... It is important to give the restaurant the impression that you are serious, flexible, and really want to eat there...sometimes a fax with a credit card number as guarantee does the trick (though many establishments would never charge you a penny...) Most establishments like Astrance and Hiramatsu I would suggest contacting as early as possible, although sometimes the last minute works out just fine...