Felice

It may have been an off experience, but I had dinner at Lipp within the last few months and found the food to be pretty terrible. The decor is lovely though, which is why it was such a disapointment. It seems that they know that they get a lot of tourists and so make no effort at all.

I also think that in France people eat real food, as opposed to pre-packaged, ready-made junk. You don't really see diet food, low-fat, no-fat, and certainly no low-carb products in France. I think the key is that people eat fresh food that they prepare themselves and don't worry about it so much.

I have to say that I always find it odd when people say not to wear jeans and sneakers in Paris. I live in Paris and people wear jeans all of the time and sneakers are extreamly popular. However, it's true that the French don't look like sloppy, goofy tourists when they wear them. The jeans are usually designer, and dark in color, rather than faded. I even iron my jeans here, something I wouldn't have done at home. You'll see women wearing jeans with heels as well. As for sneakers, I have even seen very chic older women wearing them, but again they are much more stylish. I've seen older women wearing Converse high tops, but they always look brand new and still manage to look stylish. I think the key is to just dress up a bit, even if you're going to wear jeans. A French woman looks her best even if she's just going to the market.

Yeah, it may have been Octave. All I remember is that they shaped the ice cream sort of like a flower on the cone. I also remember reading about a place called " Calabrese " in the 14th on rue Odessa, but this was a while back. Does anyone know that one?

I have been to the rue de Buci Amoré and am not quite sure what all the fuss is about. The line is always out the door. I can't be bothered waiting a half hour for ice cream. I'd much rather go to Damon's (which Magret Pilgram wrote about a while back, I believe). It's along the Seine, a little past Notre Dame. The ice cream is delicious and there is never a wait. There's also a great place on the Rue Mouffetard, but I can't remember the name.

Yup, Bux is right, I walked by last night and indeed it sits on the corner of the two streets.

I walk by Allard quite frequently and hadn't noticed that it moved. I'll try to walk by on my way home tonight and will report back.

The latest I have read about Camdeborde is that he will be taking over a pension de famille and will be opening a bed and breakfast with a small bistro sometime after September, but I haven't heard where exactly. I can't remember where I read about it either. I read a whole article though, perhaps it was in that free paper you get on the metro--Nous à Paris, or something like that. There are only a handful of Pensions left in Paris, so I wonder which one it could be. I actually lived in one for several months when I first arrived here which overlooks the Luxembourg gardens.

I went to Le Troquet about two years ago and loved it and am not quite sure why I haven't returned. I don't know if it's still the case, but when I went they had a 4 course menu for 30 € and there wasn't really a choice. But everything we had was delicious. And the reason I went in the first place was because the chef at the Crillion at the time told me it was his favorite inexpensive restaurnant in Paris, so I figured that was a pretty good endorsement.

I was just reading in the Figaro that Joel Robuchon has taken over Seize au seize in the 16th to open a second restaurant called La Table de Robuchon. The article says that it's opening in the begining of May, so it's either open or about to. And unlike L' Atelier, they take reservations. Here's the blurb from Le Figaro: Bonne nouvelle pour les déçus et les éconduits, la deuxième adresse de Joël Robuchon va ouvrir début mai, en lieu et place du Seize au seize (16, avenue Bugeaud, 01.56.28.16.16) avec le chef Frédéric Simonin qui vient d’avoir une étoile au Michelin. L’esprit contemporain devrait présider à cette table traditionnelle. Car non seulement on pourra s’attabler à la Table de Joël Robuchon (c’est le nom du restaurant), réserver au téléphone et la porte ouvrira de l’extérieur. Si la vie n’est pas belle !

Merci beaucoup for the info! I feel very relieved that we didn't have the 130€ and for 45€ it's still a great deal.

I agree, if we had the 45 € menu, it was a great deal. I only felt bad because I had specifically said it was 29 € and my boss said "lets go, my treat". I would hate to think that she spent 100 bucks taking me out to lunch. I think they had another menu as well for 130 €, which the entire table had to order. I'm just hoping that's not what we had.

Hi Lauren, I can't help you with your decision, because I've only been to Astrance, but I would love to join you for a drink in Paris I saw you mention before that you are from Philadelphia and I am as well, so it would be nice to meet someone from home. When will you be here? We can see if anyone else would like to join us or you if not just send me a message. A plus!

I just returned from a long lunch at Astrance and thought everyone would be very interested to know that they have changed their reservation policy. I overheard the maitre d telling someone that they now take reservations six weeks in advance instead of one month to the day. Also, my boss asked to make a reservation for the end of August and they took it without a problem and even asked if she would like lunch or dinner. Perhaps this is because we had just eaten lunch. I also heard the Maitre d say that they were now booked through mid June for dinner. I had thought that the lunch menu was only 29 €, but it is now 45€, which I felt bad about because I had told everyone what a great deal it was for lunch. I’m honestly not even sure if this is the menu we had as I didn’t see the bill. We chose the surprise lunch menu, which consisted of several courses. We began with a very light purée of pea, oregano, and saffron, which was delicious. This was followed by lotte, served with spring onions, whole garlic and baby artichokes with seemed to be served with a very simple sauce of olive oil. Then came crisp roasted chicken with green and white asparagus, fresh peas, and small potatoes. Everything was very light, perfectly cooked and of the best quality. Next was a refreshingly crisp sorbet with pepper and lemongrass. Dessert was a rich chocolate cake with ginger ice cream, a plateful miniature Madelines and fresh fruit. If this was indeed the 45€ the menu, it was a great bargain for everything we had. It was truly a memorable lunch!

We used this trick all the time in the restaurant where I worked in Paris because foreign cards often did not work for some reason, but as John said, if you cover the magnetic strip it works everytime.

If you can't get in for dinner, why don't you try for lunch. I'm going next Thursday and it was not difficult at all to get the reservation.

Thanks for that great write up. I read the Figaroscope restaurant reviews every week, but have not been to any of these, so it's nice to hear another opinion. Merci beaucoup!

Thank you Fresh-a for finally solving this. I didn't post this earlier because it seemed silly to keep going back and forth about who was right and wrong, but I did ask my friend (who is French) to read the article and to him the whole thing was terribly written and unclear. So, I'm happy that the mystery is solved. And I can't wait to hear from Margaret how it is!

I had drinks at La Palette last night, which is one of my favorite places for drinks once the weather warms up. The terrace is rather large, so even though it's always packed you can normally snag a table after a short wait.

Well, when I called and asked if they were open for dinner the man said yes and gave the hours. (and I worked in a restaurant in Paris for the past year and half, so I'm hoping my French couldn't be as bad as all that ) In the article itself it says "Formule à 19,5 euros (déj) et menu-carte à 28 euros" (found under Prix in their chart) which would lead me to believe that the 28 euro menu is for dinner or else they wouldn't feel the need to mark (dej) next to the 19,5 menu. I fully agree that the article clearly states that Camdeborde is opening a lunch only brasserie, but then indicates that Ourcine is not lunch only. Hence the confusion.

I read the Figaro article as well and it seemed to me that L'Ourcine is not Camdeborde's restaurant, but was opened by Sylvain Daniere, one of his "lieutenants" (which I'm taking to mean sous chef) The article says "In a few weeks Yves Camdebord will leave his famous restaurant to mix up a new adventure, a brasserie style place open only for dinner. While waiting he's helped launch one of his lieutenants in a lost bistro near Gobelins." Thats how I translated it anyway. I didn't think that it was his place. And from the other things that I have read it seemed like he was going to take a break for a while and then will start something in September. And you'll be happy to know that I just called and they are open for dinner. Anyway, I'm putting it on my list of restaurants I want to try next, which seems to be getting pretty long! An Oursin is a sea urchin, but I'm not sure what a Ourcine is.

I thought I'd chime in for La Cave as well, it is one of my favorite places in Paris. Pim, Do you have any favorites in Belleville that you'd be willing to share?

The Figaroscope has a very positive review of Aux Saveurs de Claude when it first opened (it must have been more than a year ago). so you might be able to find it on their site. I went and although the food was quite good,I wasn't really impressed by the atmosphere. But, as I said, this is when it first opened and I haven't been back since.

I know this has been discussed, but just wanted to clarify the waitress's response. Service is always included in France, but that doesn't mean the server is given a % of the check. I work in a restaurant in Saint Germain and we are paid the SMIC (minimum wage) which is about 7 € an hour, but after all of the social charges come out it amounts to 25€ per service. Obviously someone working in a starred restaurant makes considerably more. But, I have spoken to many waiters and most are paid a shift pay and I have rarely heard of anyone making more than 50 € per shift, so believe me, your waiter appreciates a tip for good service. I wouldn't be able to continue working where I work if it were not for tips. That said, I would not tip if the service is poor or rude and I would not leave as much as is customary in the States either. There are still some places where the waiter takes a percentage of what the restaurant brings in, but it is becoming more rare I believe.

And the Derniere Goute has informal tastings through out the day on Saturdays and Sundays.