Michelin star lunch in Paris:what do you recommend

[jml3]

My wife and I will be in Paris on March 21, and I want to take her to one of the three-stars for lunch. (Given the dollar/euro rate, we can't afford a full-blown dinner.) We have already been to Lucas Carton for lunch, and Gagnaire for dinner. Considering only what is available on the prix fixe lunch menu, what would you all recommend for the best combination of ambience and food? The 2005 Michelin will be out by March, so feel free to include places like Le Meurice that may get their third macaroon by then.

Edited January 11, 2005 by jml3 (log)

[grace3]

My wife and I will be in Paris on March 21, and I want to take her to one of the three-stars for lunch. (Given the dollar/euro rate, we can't afford a full-blown dinner.) We have already been to Lucas Carton for lunch, and Gagnaire for dinner. Considering only what is available on the prix fixe lunch menu, what would you all recommend for the best combination of ambience and food? The 2005 Michelin will be out by March, so feel free to include places like Le Meurice that may get their third macaroon by then.

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Pretty places to consider would be Les Ambassadeurs at the Hotel Crillon, Hotel Bristol, Hotel Le Meurice or even the Ritz.......

[mdibiaso]

Which did you prefer more, Lucas Carton or Gagnaire? These are quite different style restaurant in the food they serve and atmosphere. Knowing which you liked best and why will help in giving recommendations for your next visit.

[jml3]

Which did you prefer more, Lucas Carton or Gagnaire? These are quite different style restaurant in the food they serve and atmosphere. Knowing which you liked best and why will help in giving recommendations for your next visit.

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Do I prefer bordeaux or burgundy? (actually, burgundy) We went to Lucas Carton primarily for the beautiful art nouveau room; of course the food was very good, but were the same dishes that Senderens has been cooking for years. I have been to Gagnaire 4-5 times, and do like cutting-edge cooking (probably more than my wife) So for this lunch I'd like to stay just a little on the cutting-edge side of very good cooking. From what I have read here and elsewhere, Alleno at Le Meurice may be about right. But a subissue in my question is which of the top places actually has some of its best dishes on the luncheon prix fixe menu. And the beauty of the room is also an important factor. Gagnaire and Savoy are a bit too modern for my taste.

Edited January 14, 2005 by jml3 (log)

[Bux]

But a subissue in my question is which of the top places actually has some of its best dishes on the luncheon prix fixe menu.

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One of my favorite questions. Of course the value of the set lunch menu where offered varies from restaurant to restaurant and it's not necessarily in direct relation to the stars or price. I will repear what I've said before about Carré des Feulliants where a few years apart, we managed to have the most expensive dinner tasting menus and the least expensive lunch special. There was no question that the former woud have pleased were it more expensive and the latter while not a bad value, had none of the flair and brilliance we experienced in the tasting menu.

[mdibiaso]

You may want to consider Le Bristol a 2 star with beautiful rooms (one winter one summer) and cooking that is modern but not out in left field. The website should show what the lunch menu serves and costs. http://www.hotel-bristol.com/

[cru]

I need a place to splurge. Not as modern as L'Atleier de Joel Robuchon and not as classic as Grand Vefour..... Suggestions? Who has the cheapest 3 star prixe fixe bargain?

[Bux]

I wonder how many three star restaurants even offer a prix fixe lunch menu under 80 €. Its good however that you are asking for a recommendation because I've found some prix fixe lunch menus even at two star places that are not nearly the bargain they appear to be simply because the dishes they offer are not representative of the quality and type of food on which their reputation is based. In some cases, it would be preferable to get the most expensive menu at a restaurant with fewer stars. Sometimes a seemingly inexpensive menu only allows one to enjoy the ambience and atmosphere of a three star restaurant and not the cuisine.

[John Talbott]

I wonder how many three star restaurants even offer a prix fixe lunch menu under 80 €.

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I believe the number is four (as of the 2005 Guide).

I cannot advise which would meet your needs/wishes best tho'.

[pirate]

Quote from Bux:

Sometimes a seemingly inexpensive menu only allows one to enjoy the ambience and atmosphere of a three star restaurant and not the cuisine.

I would replace "Sometimes" with "More often than not"

[John Talbott]

Quote from Bux:

Sometimes a seemingly inexpensive menu only allows one to enjoy the ambience and atmosphere of a three star restaurant and not the cuisine.

I would replace "Sometimes" with "More often than not"

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I would replace "Sometimes" with "More often than not"

Pirate: This probably merits a whole new thread, but whether you go to a starred-place or your neighborhood dive and the choices on the "menu" are an egg or salad with goat cheese for firsts; and baked salmon or farm-raised chicken for mains - and two scoops of ice cream or creme brulee for dessert - do we really have a realistic chance of testing the chef/kitchen/establishment (as Bux, his always sage-self says)? I might say the same holds true in the old US of A on Restaurant week(s) in NYC, sauf Danny Meyer, whom member Paga steers me to.

[cru]

Quote from Bux:

Sometimes a seemingly inexpensive menu only allows one to enjoy the ambience and atmosphere of a three star restaurant and not the cuisine.

I would replace "Sometimes" with "More often than not"

←

I would replace "Sometimes" with "More often than not"

Pirate: This probably merits a whole new thread, but whether you go to a starred-place or your neighborhood dive and the choices on the "menu" are an egg or salad with goat cheese for firsts; and baked salmon or farm-raised chicken for mains - and two scoops of ice cream or creme brulee for dessert - do we really have a realistic chance of testing the chef/kitchen/establishment (as Bux, his always sage-self says)? I might say the same holds true in the old US of A on Restaurant week(s) in NYC, sauf Danny Meyer, whom member Paga steers me to.

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Let me rephrase the posting>

where can I get an exceptional lunch for under 80euro in Paris. I'm reserving my evenings for bistros but want to sample some haute cuisine for lunch.

[Carlsbad]

Even though I'm a once-a-year Paris traveler at best, I'll wade in here anyway. It depends on what is most important to you. If you want three stars, take a look at Taillevent. I think the place is an absolute bargain whenever you go. (In fact, you might want to go for dinner, when the 130E menu will buy you the whole experience, and they also have some reasonably priced wines by the bottle or glass.) If multiple stars don't matter, at the one-star Les Ormes, you can get anything on the carte well within your price range, at lunch or dinner, and I really loved the place. I would also consider Le Bristol ** for lunch, although there seems to be some suggestion that there is a big difference between the lunch menu and the carte.

[BSK]

I just finished a three-month eating tour of Paris and would highly recommend Les Ambassadeurs at Le Crillon - chef Jean-François Piège. They have an incredible four-course lunch-tasting menu (not counting 5 amazing amuse-bouches and an endless stream of mignondaises after dessert including an entire box of chocolates) with two choices per course for 70 euros available Tuesday thru Friday http://www.crillon.com/crillon.html. The sommelier, David Biraud, despite looking barely old enough to shave, has been awarded Best Wine Steward of France in 1992 and Best Craftsman of France in 1994 and he'll serve great pairings by the glass (Rosé Champagne to start followed by a Juraçon for a foie gras-type starter, something white or red in the middle and the Banyuls for ending are superb but of course the meal price will rise accordingly). Piège is an obsessive-compulsive genuis (he places individual caviar eggs by tweezer and hand-cuts his truffles to circular patterns). The room is elegant old-world but not stuffy - I sat across from and chatted with an older Scottish couple who were dressed for walking the moors (just had a carafe of water to keep the price down) and there was also a young mother and grandmother with well-behaved French baby in tote - and the food is definitely new world. The breads are great, the cheese cart divine - I was the first to arrive and the last to go complete with a card kindly written by M. Biraud that listed all of the wine pairings and lots of explanations about the dish preparations from the servers. I called two days before and reserved with no problem.

There is also Carré des Feuillants (owner/chef Alain Dutournier) which has a 3-course (dessert or cheese) 65 euro lunch tasting menu with several choices per course (beginning and ending with the amuse-bouche and dessert stream) http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/relais/.../feuillants.htm. Also booked a couple of days in advance.

Bon appétit!

Edited February 12, 2006 by BSK (log)

[ulterior epicure]

There is also Carré des Feuillants (owner/chef Alain Dutournier) which has a 3-course (dessert or cheese) 65 euro lunch tasting menu with several choices per course (beginning and ending with the amuse-bouche and dessert stream) http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/relais/.../feuillants.htm.  Also booked a couple of days in advance.

Bon appétit!

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i've lauded it before, and i repeat here. although it's not 3-star (i think it should be), carre des feuillants 65 euro lunch prix-fixe is worth it.

as well, i believe that the lunch at le cinq is either 75 or 80 euros... i had a horrible experience... but to each his/her own.

u.e.

Edited February 13, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)

[Bux]

. . . . 

There is also Carré des Feuillants (owner/chef Alain Dutournier)  . . .

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Alas, Carré des Feuillants, was for me, the great lesson and the restaurant on my mind when I posted earlier in the thread. It's been a while now, but a long time ago we had the ultimate seasonal degustation menu there with great pleasure. A few years later we squeezed a prix fixe lunch into our schedule remarking at how we just couldn't miss returning at the price. Lunch was maybe a third the price of dinner, maybe less. I would have traded a half dozen of the prix fixe lunches for one of the degustations. The prix fixe llunch was a bargain, but the big meal was a greater bargain.

It's all relative I suppose. It depends on what you want, what you need and what you expect. Prix fixe lunches may be a bargain and they may give you a clue as to the chef's talents, but they don't necessarily give you the opportunity to experience the full talents of the kitchen. Many people have no interest in three star restaurants. They don't care to know. There are plenty who know and are just as happy to forget and enjoy good honest bistro food.

[cigalechanta]

Gaya!!

4821.24 in reply to 4821.23

Bonjour Jo! I returned on Sunday after a 15 day wonderful, enriched trip.

I thought I'd eat at the bar at Gaya's but my being short and my osteo-arthritis being active, I found it painful, too high a stool and the only table open had the same high stools so I sat upstairs which I preferred. There were photographs on the wall rather than the ultra-modern marine decor on the first floor. All the tables were corian with photographed algae imbedded. I had espadon(swordfish) that sat on a bed of cremed broccoli with salicornes

On the side of my fish was couscous with bits of pineapple and apricot. (pinapple was used in manyy restos I noticed) desert was a creme brulet and my wine was from Langadoc. As usual my appertif of choice was Suze and my digestif calvados.

[Fibilou]

Thinking of taking husband to Paris for his birthday and am looking for a good "experience" meal for Saturday lunch on the Eurostar. We've eaten at Tour d'Argent and Jules Verne so those are out. Considering Lassere, Prunier, Pre Catalan, Grande Cascade

Any tips, recommendations for me ? Not interested in Taillevent as we did the "old school" experience at T d'A.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Fibilou (log)

[Felice]

Thinking of taking husband to Paris for his birthday and am looking for a good "experience" meal for Saturday lunch on the Eurostar. We've eaten at Tour d'Argent and Jules Verne so those are out. Considering Lassere, Prunier, Pre Catalan, Grande Cascade

Any tips, recommendations for me ? Not interested in Taillevent as we did the "old school" experience at T d'A.

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Fibilou, you might want to start your search here, a compendium of threads on lunch suggestions in Paris.

[Fibilou]

Had a brainwave last night, we stayed at the Crillon earlier this year and were sad to miss the brunch du monde. His birthday is on a Sunday so I plan to take a 5* day trip

[julot-les-pinceaux]

The only 3* open for saturday at lunch in Paris is l'Ambroisie (actually there's also le Pré Catelan). Not a bad choice if you like the style (just translated a post about it on my blog). Among the two stars also, few are open saturday for lunch -- there's Senderens and Robuchon, for example, but none of them feels like the kind of place you seem to be looking after (cozy while somewhat special and spectacular).

While you're at taking the Eurostar, you may push to Montbard and go to Loiseau in Saulieu?

Edited September 17, 2007 by julot-les-pinceaux (log)

[grace3]

I am taking my granddaughter and her husband to Paris in April.

I would like to take them for a special lunch at one of the "top" places that has their lunch special bargains...Taillevent 70,euros, Les Ambassadeurs 75 euros, Pierre Gagnaire 90 euros, Bristol, Guy Savoy, etc....

I would like opinions from others, to help with my choice for them. I am familiar with the Bristol, Les Ambassadeurs and Taillevent.

They are both new to the delights of Paris, so not just the food, but for the location.

Thanks,

[Scott]

Taillevent was seriously average last time I went.

what about Savoy's 100 euro menu? from the carte:

half entree

main

half desert

[TarteTatin]

We went to La Tour D'Argent last April and Le Grand Vefour a few weeks ago.

Honestly, I was not over impressed with either. I think they were 77 and 88 euros, but we order a lot of wine, and I think we paid about 350 or so euros for lunch for two.

My husband loved both places.

I understand the grand view of La Tour, and the history of both.

Yes, both were good, but I think I long for something more.

Not in a foamy molecular way, but...

Not with five million desserts and mignardies, but...

I do remember two meals at Georges Blanc in Vonnas, years ago.

They both surpassed all the great meals we've had all over France and other countries.

[cachan]

I went to Grand Vefour 3 weeks ago for lunch at 88 euro and the food and service were excellent. Place was full and the decor is historic.