Paris and Beyond Suggestions

[Mao]

I am planning to make a week and half trip to Paris next Spring/late winter with Vivin and his wife. This will be our second trip to France for eating purposes. While perhaps we are going about this trip the wrong way--choosing to eat at 3 star establishments, as opposed to travelling regionally to fully appreciate the regional distinctions and techniques within French cuisine, this is the way we are choosing to do the trip, and I would be interested in feedback as to places to visit. We/I visited the following on our last trip (Places with an asterix may be repeated this trip):

Lucas Carton

L'Arpege*

Taillevent

ADPA*

Le Grand Vefour** (we have to go again)

Guy Savoy

Boyer

Places we are considering this trip are:

(Paris)

L'Ambroisie (from the sound of it there is no way to get in)

L'Astrance (same problem)

Pierre Gagniere

Outside:

Recommendations?????

[MartyL]

Gagnaire and Astrance have got to be on the "must do" list if you want to see what is new and exciting in Paris.

Astrance isn't impossible to get into, although it is difficult. Just try calling exactly one month before your desired reservation date. The tricky thing is that you really ought to call as soon as they open on that date, which may be an ungodly hour for you if you are in the U.S. We had no problem however, calling at about 7 am Eastern Time. Note that it is also generally easier to book lunch instead of dinner.

Good luck and I look forward to your reports.

[vivin]

what is up with you people ????

one response in 3 days ????

[robert brown]

Mao, my friend who eats at L'Astrance on a regular basis said that Sunday lunch was the "easiest" meal to get a table. I have to tell you, though, that my wife and I do not share the prevailing opinion about the restaurant. While we were delighted to go and certainly enjoyed ourselves, we found L'Astrance to be endowed with most of the attributes that feel are ruining serious dining--snobby attitude (this from part-owner Christophe, the maitre d'hotel/part-owner), bare bones, perfunctory service, no choice of dishes, skimpy wine list, and so many dishes in little portions that you never get to immerse yourself in whatever ones that you really like (and you will like several of them). But it's a place you should go to, if only to experience what the restaurant represents. I also have to admit that as a one-star restaurant, it does have one-star prices (relatively inexpensive) and thus it needs to keep expenses down. But I'm in a very distinct minority on this restaurant. However, I can offer you one piece of concrete advice: don't, if my experience is any indication. order the "menu surprise". For almost 50% more it offered only a couple of additional dishes (and I believe all the others were the same as those on the less-expensive menu) and cheap wine that the restaurant selected.

[eugenezuckoff]

Our meal at Taillevent in July was as good as any we ever had - anywhere, even though the menu was (as has been recently noted)a tad scant. It was also a bargain - under $200/head with champage to start and a good bottle of Chambolle-Musigny.

I don't know when you were last at Le Grand Vefour, but it was a major disappointment following Taillevent. Flavors were muddy, portions rather small, and the bill ridiculous. The famous raviolis, for example, had nearly the exact taste and texture of soft-boiled eggs. What a waste of good ingrediants!

L'Ambroisie is just terrific, and relatively easy to get into at lunch.

My kind of trip. Have fun!

[Charles Smith]

I would try to get to the as yet unopened Joel Robuchon place as reported in the NYTimes- it's now an archived link requiring payment, but I'm sure that there some more info somewhere

[Bux]

As I recall, the new Robuchon place is not going to take reservations. Apparently it's not open although by next spring it could be in operation. From my reading of the article, it won't aim to be a multistarred restaurant. With it's policy of all counter/bar seating and open kitchen I don't see how it could offer the comforts required of a two star restaurant let alone a three star establishment. It should nevertheless hold great interest for serious gastronome as should many places in Paris, including many that fall off the radar. Most of us have a limited amount of time and it's as often as not, the time limit that interferes with our goal of doing everything, seeing everything and eating everywhere, more than any budgetary restriction.

In response to the opening paragraph of this thread, I'd have to say that I don't think there's a right way or a wrong way to travel or eat. The way I traveled at your age might not be the way you travel, but for what it's worth, my daughter doesn't travel the way I did at her age, nor would I expect her to do so. Of course eating at three star restaurants is not the opposite of eating around the country. France is not like the US. Many of the very top restaurants are in the provinces in France. So you can eat at all levels both in Paris and outside. Furthermore there's much to be found at all levels.

Several years ago, I had such wonderful meals at inexpensive restaurants and bistros that I wondered if I'd ever return to a multistarred restaurant again, but in fact, since then, I've had some very mediocre meals in recommended bistros and some meals in neighborhood restaurants that were not lessons in the history of what makes french cuisine what it used to be. Today I find a need for food at all levels and will cram in what I can in a small trip. Admittedly, I will split a two week trip between Paris the countryside.