Trendiest Restaurants in Paris

[fresh_a]

I'd be interested to know what you all think about the hippest places in Paris. True, Paris doesn't have the buzz of London and New York, and the fact that, for many French, it's gastronomy that makes a restaurant "happening", but what do you all like?

Edited June 8, 2004 by fresh_a (log)

[John Talbott]

For me your question is too broad; trendy = what;

loud music, 6 month's wait for reservations, folks under 30, fashionistas, media folk, beautiful people, voituriers, places serving "edgy" food, undercooked fish, kiwis and catsup, nems, world food, fusion, theme food?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I'd be interested to know what you all think about the hippest places in Paris.

As JT has said, you list them, we'll comment.

[fresh_a]

As I know them all, I was hoping to get some fresh (no pun intended!) responses. I guess the following are pretty happening: Pretty much all of the Costes establishments, starting with the hotel, and highlighting the Avenue, Café Marly (especially during fashion week). The Costes K Palace lounge looks like Charles de Gaulle terminal 2F, and has terrible service. The Maison Blanche, although with a great view and architecture, is pricey, and pretty undeserving of the Pourcel name. Lots of my clients don't like it anymore. The George V Restaurantion restos, Buddha Bar, B*Fly, Barrio Latino, etc etc are very passé, and pretty much filled to the brim with tourists, not trendy at all. 6 New York is ok for a more local feel, but the service needs some working on. Market is cool, and still has star-pulling power, and I like everyone working there. Cantine du Faubourg is ok, and had their much-needed redecoration, but lacks exclusivity. Man Ray has some cool parties, but attract too much riff-raff, and is too packed to really enjoy oneself most of the time. Lots of newer hip places are in the 10th and 11th, like the Martel, Café Charbon, Prune,etc etc, as well as a few promising places like Djoon and Pearl in the 13th, but I don't really know these too well, yet. Any comments?

[fresh_a]

All of the above, JT. Happening, trendy, in, hip, etc You get the idea. I already know all the places, but wanted to know what you think...

Edited June 11, 2004 by fresh_a (log)

[fresh_a]

Anyone???? (Echo, Echo, Echo)

[John Talbott]

Sorry fresh_a, JT is of no help; the last trendy place I visited anywhere was Studio 54 before the owners got sent to the pokey.

[bleachboy]

kiwis and catsup

Oh my.. Is this an actual combination?!

[John Talbott]

Well, it is literary shorthand for the "pushing the envelope" type food, but L'Angl'Opera does truly serve "Granny Smiths & a quirky catsup sauce a part"

[Le Zouave]

Forget about Djoon: the place is quite good looking (although the neighborhood is not that hip), but food's really bad — actually, I think I read they'd just changed their chef. Maybe for a drink? As far as Pearl is concerned, I feel the same (but the place is much smaller and less spectacular than Djoon).

By the way: not far away from Djoon, the MK2 movie theatre opened a bunch of restaurants. The one called "Jules & Jim" is great (decor, not food, once again), quite expensive. try and have a look here: http://www.mk2.fr/bibliotheque/. The bar is nice too (the Limelight).

Were you looking for places in the 8th or the 16th, only? I guess you should try the Cristal Room, decorated by Philippe Stark: fantastic. It's in Baccarat's head office.

[Bux]

Has Paris always had its share of bad restaurants that were trendy. It seems to me that it didn't back in the sixties, of did I really hang around with such a dull crowd that they only cared about the food. In truth I had very few friends in Paris and was not very branché, but I have it on very good authority that even the little restaurants were not so bad back then and that it's not just that my taste buds have matured.

[John Talbott]

Since we're headed down nostalgia lane, Bux, I have to weigh in. I think in retrospect that everything 40-50 years ago was exotic (even cheap Vietnamese places around the Sorbonne), glittery (Tour D'Argent) and so inventive (Lucas-Carton). I thought the corner brasseries (now long gone) were astonishing; with tomatoes and simple dressing that tasted like something, rillettes that melted in your mouth, cheese that had force and character and bread that wasn't industrial or Banette. But then, I thought that the frite stands and Mateus Rosé and La Vache qui Rit were pretty good too. Branché?, who was branché then? We were in Paris, we were young, the war's scars were still evident in places like St-Malo, but there was life in the streets and cafés. Bad food, immature palates, lack of judgment, so what? I'd go back to some of those awful joints I first ate in, in 1953, any day.

[fresh_a]

Z, have you actually been to Djoon? Just looking for a little intelligence on it. As for the Crystal Room, I've known this place since (before) it opened.

I'm not "looking" for places at all. I'm just trying to get your opinions to see what others think. Believe me, I know ALL of these places.

Edited June 28, 2004 by fresh_a (log)

[Le Zouave]

Yes Fresh, I went to Djoon, just once: food wasn't interesting at all (except a lovely home made terrine), they had one or two nice bottles, but the place was just empty! (Maybe six or eight people, not more...) But still, I do like the architecture and design. And btw, I did notice you knew all these places! That means you also know a restaurant like the Kong or the Cristal room are nicer, right?

[Druckenbrodt]

To get back to your original question:

Le Nouvel Observateur has a summer supplement which focusses on 'Les 400 lieux branches de Paris' - unfortunately 'branche' (sorry can't do accents on this machine) doesn't exist in my dictionary but I suspect it means 'trendy' or something along those lines?

Also not sure whether Le Nouvel Observateur is really in a position to comment on what's trendy or not. But anyway it's probably quite interesting to have a look at if you're based in Paris. There's the new bar/restaurant in Le Bon Marche called Delicabar which seems to be getting a lot of attention.