Sunday lunch in Paris: Merged Topics

[John Talbott]

Any ideas on somewhere in Paris to take a group of 15 or so people for an informal lunch on Sunday 30 September?

It's a mixed group of adults and teenagers (who will probably be looking for steak frites) on their way to a 5.00 pm rugby World Cup kick-off in Parc des Princes. The main constraint is that the cost should be around €25 and they should take reservations but also have some athmosphere. Ideal location would be anywhere between Trocadero and Porte d'Auteil but this is fairly flexible.

Perhaps somewhere like le Congres Auteuil or indeed, any one of the classic Parisian brasseries, would seem to be the obvious answer if there is some discipline about what is ordered. Has anybody any other good suggestions?

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I was going to say Le Stade from May 2006 but it's closed Sunday.

I agree about the brasserie idea but the only one I know of is the newly renovated Le Coq Trocadero, which is also closed Sundays.

There is Tokyo Eat on the parvis of the Palais de Tokyo where I had one terrific lunch (in summer outside) and one disappointing one (in winter inside). It's open Sundays and has a special for 12 E, although a la carte can take you closer to 50 with wine.

I've never been to le Congres Auteuil.

[John Talbott]

It implied in Newzy that La Méditerranée in the 6th had a new chef, ex-l’Ambrosie and I was going to use that as an excuse to pop up this topic from the bowels, since it’s been consolidated/merged to give all the Sunday lunch/brunch info. Three of us ate there and had two 27 € menus (the other had a first and dessert totaling 21 €), which with no bottled water, 2 bottles of their cheapest, but good, white and no aperos or digestos ran 123 €. I had an incredible warm terrine of all mushrooms (truly spectacular, best dish of the day), Colette and Felice a nullish soupe de poissons; Felice and I had decent pieces of monkfish and cod respectively; and then Colette had a large slice of poached pear, ice cream and chocolate - OK. All in all, not bad for a Sunday but not great either. PS M. Ripa is not new, unless you count the millennium as new.

[John Talbott]

I realize we've got a topic running on Sunday brunch, but I want to see if anyone out there has tumbled/stumbled on a new place for Sunday lunch that is not a brasserie or brunch place.

My good friend Atar said that Sunday is the new Saturday, meaning that once upon a time one had difficulty finding places open for lunch Saturday but now Sunday is the problem. He's solved it by eating chez Atar & Elan but Colette and I still want to "go out."

In any case, I/we'd appreciate knowing what's new out there. FYI, I ate today at QueduBon which I'll report on later, not bad but not great either, except for the walk through the Buttes postprandially.

Edited April 19, 2008 by John Talbott (log)

[fresh_a]

Ate at Blue Elephant today for their Sunday Thai lunch buffet. 39€ per person. Good, fresh food, with a large variety of choices , prepared by friendly chefs. All cooks are Thai, as is the waitstaff. The dining rooms are craftily hidden away from each other, making the restaurant look small, when in fact they have 240 covers. I enjoyed it.

[John Talbott]

Ate at Blue Elephant today for their Sunday Thai lunch buffet. 39€ per person. Good, fresh food, with a large variety of choices , prepared by friendly chefs. All cooks are Thai, as is the waitstaff. The dining rooms are craftily hidden away from each other, making the restaurant look small, when in fact they have 240 covers. I enjoyed it.

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Indeed and wonderful, but hardly new, my records show it's been here since 1991, see here.

[tracyinfrance]

Am meeting a friend from the States in Paris for lunch tomorrow and had made a reservation at Mini Palais for lunch and just called to confirm my reservation to discover they have decided to close until the 21st - even though they took my reservation last month! Any suggestions??

I gather the weather is not going to be brilliant as I had thought Les Ombres on the terrace or Cafe de l'homme on the terrace as all the reviews seem to indicate the main reason to go to either of these is the terrace rather than the food.

I am so mad that MP took my reservation when they must have known they were going to be closed!! We do have reservations at Market for Monday lunch.

Is the Comptoir any good sunday lunch or are we likely to have to wait ages for a table? My friend is likely to be jetlagged so standing in the rain will not go down well!! We don't meet up until 1.15 due to my flight and her train time so needs to be somewhere serving late ie at least until 2pm

[OAKGLEN]

We like Goumard, 9 rue Duphot, for a Sunday lunch. You can reserve at www.goumard.com, but I would give them a call to see how late they would seat you.

[PhilD]

Is the Comptoir any good sunday lunch or are we likely to have to wait ages for a table? My friend is likely to be jetlagged so standing in the rain will not go down well!! 

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They serve all afternoon on Sunday, if you are grtting there after the lunch rush you shouldn't have to wait very long. It is a long weekend in France this weekend - Friday (15th) was Assomption so Paris will be less busy - maybe why MP os closed.

[tracyinfrance]

Thanks for the two suggestions - even though Le Comptoir seems to have fallen out of favour or should that be flavour with fellow EGers, we are staying in St Germain so it seems a logical place for us. Hopefully we can at least have a glass of champagne on the terrace between showers if not our entire late lunch!

[julot-les-pinceaux]

You'll eat better at La Rotonde, at the corner of Montparnasse and Raspail. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is also open. Not sure about Fish, but it's not too far to check.

[OAKGLEN]

In case Le Comptoir does not work out, Le Petit Zinc and Brasserie Balzar are nearby and serve all day. Decent food and service as well.

[Ptipois]

If that may be of any help, my recent experience at Market was dreadful.

Edited August 16, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[John Talbott]

Sunday lunch Redux

I thought I’d post this here rather than in the Digest, because I suspect folks looking for lunch places on Sunday are more likely to look here.

Today’s Figaroscope had an article by Colette Monsat et al on Sunday lunch {one month after I did, but who’s competitive?} that gave the following categories {I’ll give coordinates on only those not in the guidebooks or well-known}:

According to the chalkboard

Firmin, le Barbier, 20, rue de Monttessuy in the 7th, 01.45.51.21.55, closed Monday and Tuesdays, lunch formulas at 18 and 23, a la carte 40-50 €

Le Café des Musees

Le Comptoir du Relais

All fish

La Maree Passy

La Cagouille

Les Fables de la Fontaine

Traditional dishes

l’Auberge Bressane

La Fontaine de Mars

L’Ambassade d'Auvergne

Oysters on the run

Ballon et Coquillages

Le Bar a Huitres

La Dame des Huitres

Wine related

Quedubon

Verre Vole

Fish la Boissonnerie

Exotic flavors

Les Delices du Shandong

Le Bambou

Lao Lane Xang 2

New places

Chardenoux

Ozu

L’Assiette

Square Trousseau

Plus, Francois Simon’s “Hache Menu” features Sunday lunch at Le Tourne Bouchon,71, blvd Raspail in the 7th, 01.45.44.15.50, good for eating at, after shopping at the Sunday Raspail bio market, where he had a couscous, mousse, coffee and ½ Badoit for 20.80 €.

There is also an interview with Willy Door who runs the seven bistrots open on Sundays that serve a 38 € lunch (all included, incl aperitif, wine + coffee). They are the bistros:

de la Muette

Breteuil

17e

Deux Theatres

St Ferdinand

Melrose

Champetre

Finally, there is a box on cult dishes at brasseries that I’ll post on the Brasserie topic.

Edited October 23, 2008 by John Talbott (log)