Drouant or Il Cortile

[Beachfan]

I struck out on my first 4 choices for a one star dinner in Paris. Any recommendations between Il Cortile and Drouant? Both have vegetarian options. Exciting food is the first consideration, followed by quality/price ratio and nicotine content in atmosphere.

Thanks in advance!

[Beachfan]

My choices must be so unfashionable that no-one cares to comment (except one kind soul who sent a PM).

[peterpumkino]

Strange, we usually get lots of answers for a query like yours and I can't help as I have not eaten in either. I only know I was in Paris this weekend and had a very disappointing meal at Cap Vernat, even the oysters (which are normally excellent) were lousy.

Maybe it was because it was a Saturday night (place was empty).

[Bux]

Il Cortile doesn't attract my attention simply because it's Italian and my preference in NY and In Paris would be for French food most of the time. I live in NY, and good Italian food will find its place in my diet and at home and in restaurants, but as I spend too little time in Paris, I'm not very likely to be drawn to Italian food there. I will not say that I'd never eat in an Italian restaurant, just that Italian restaurants don't draw my attention in Paris.

Drouant is fairly expensive and luxurious. While at a certain level of food, my budget may be abandonned, I'm much too likely to pay attention to how much of my tab goes for ambience and service in a one star restaurant. At one star, I'm also inclined to look for younger chefs on their way up, rather than classic restaurants. I prefer chef driven restaurants at all levels and find the absence of a chef's name in the GaultMillau blurb a turn off.

I think these are fairly subjective reasons not to consider those restaurants and what I post here is not to suggest these restaurants are a poor choice, but rather why I, with my limited finances and time in Paris, have nothing useful to say about them.

On the one star level, I've liked l'Astrance very much, but I understand this is a hard place to reserve. Maxence is a place in which I haven't eaten, but to which I'm attracted after sampling his rillettes of wild hare with chocolate last year. Carre des Feuillants, although a bit more expensive than Drouant, is a restaurant to which I'd like to return again, although I find not everyone likes it as much as we did.

I am curious as to why members resort to private messages in asnwer to public posts. The beauty of this site is in its ability to share information. I, for one, am always interested in reading about restaurants in France. It matters only a little if they are my style or not.

Cap Vernet, I believe, is a Guy Savoy bistrot. It's disappointing to hear of it having an off night.

[pirate]

If you like sea food, La Luna (which is French despite the Italian name) is excellent. I'm not sure of it's current Michelin status but it had one rosette last November when I ate there. It's rather small so reserve. It's in the 8th but north of the Gare St. Lazare. Authentic looking 30's decor.

[Bux]

I suppose it's almost my responsibility to keep my Michelin in handy reach. Luna, with two forks and spoons, still has its star and a very positive comment about it's daily provisions from the Atlantic. In the two lines Michelin allows to describe a restaurant they also give high marks to the baba and note the art deco interior.

I'm surprised not to find any mention in the GaultMillau. That would not deter me from trying La Luna.

[Beachfan]

Bux, your thoughts are similar to mine (Italian in France, $$$$$ for one *). These choices are what the concierge offered when Astrance said they were full. The complication is that it's my wife's birthday (a vegetarian non foodie). We have reservations for lunch in Astrance, but on a Friday, I think she'd rather do dinner out.

The day before, we are having lunch at le Grand Vefour. During the week, some museums are open late, so we enjoy a lunch, nap and evening in the musuem.

Maybe the weather will be fine and an evening outside after lunch at Astrance will be lovely.

PS I ate at Cap Vernat last year and it was definitely mediocre; I wouldn't go back.

[Bux]

Beachfan, it sounds as if Grand Vefour would be the fitting celebration, but I understand it still leaves a hole on the actual day for dinner. Somehow one can eat lunch at three stars all week, but it there's no special dinner on the night, it's diappointing. Life's unfair.

May I ask how far in advance you tried for reservations. I'm beginning to think concierges may have better luck getting a reservation before the books open, than a last minute table, but I also suspect different cincierges have different degrees of pull at different restaurants. There would be a little black book that would be useful to have--which hotels can get you into which restaurants--if, in fact, my hypothesis has any validity.“

[Beachfan]

I tried Astrance in early August, foolish me. Then I tried on the second day back from vacation. Too late.

My hotel only opened in late August, so concierge didn't exist earlier. Of couse, I could have done something earlier, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do until I reread the raves on Astrance.

But it isn't really so much having dinner on the day. It's having something else to do in the evening. If anyone knows of a cool Paris event the evening of Friday 9/27, then we'll do lunch at Astrance.

If the weather is decent, the Bateau Mouche late is always fun for us.