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Le Violon d'Ingres


smorris291

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My wife and I will be in Paris in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering what would be appropriate to wear to dinner at Le Violon d'Ingres. I was thinking about a sportcoat, but would I be out of place? Would a tie and or a suit be a better idea?

Thanks for the help...

Scott

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Scott, the helpful answer, based on my visit there five years ago, is between casual and dressy. It is nicely and warmly appointed, but it isn't formal or luxe. So I would say a jacket and trousers, but not necessarily a tie, if you want to look presentable and serious. Slacks and blouse would be fine for your wife.

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Nudity, or near nudity always works well for women if they feel comfortable. I don't actually know that's true, but it's a trend I'd like to encourage.

I'm all for suggesting you wear what's comfortable for you. Size the place up and decide what you think is right and wear it. Two and three star restaurants with four or five Michelin forks deserve a tie in my opinion. Few other places really do unless that's how you like to dress. We had lunch in Goumard a very elegant (four fork and spoon, one star) and rather expensive one star restaurant. There were several business men having lunch and wearing suits and ties. There was also one person wearing a denim jacket, or rather with a jeans jacket draped over the back of his chair and wearing a tieless shortsleeved shirt. The best I could determine was that all of the diners were welcomed and well treated.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

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I dine at Violon d'Ingres with every trip to Paris. I am also a bug on people dressing "properly", or better put, annoyed with people who do not dress properly for a nice restaurant. A sport coat jacket would be most appropriate..without a tie could be acceptable...a lady should wear a comfortable nice pant and top/jacket ou5fit or a nice dress. Christian and Catherine aare fine people. You will enjoy!!

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Oh, c'mon, dress up! Give your wife a thrill and pretend it's a first date. Look sharp, have fun!

Bux -- I ended up in Gourmand having neglected to count forks, wearing a sport coat and jeans, the kids in khaki's and polo shirts. I felt that we were quite underdressed but the service was gracious all evening and we had a delightful time.

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

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I'm of mixed minds on getting dressed up for dinner, or at least of mixed minds on telling other people what to do. I think it's nice when people look sharp and dress well for a restaurant, but I certainly don't want others to make themselves uncomfortable on my behalf. It's also less fun to dress more formally than most of the others in a restaurant and people just don't dress as formally as they used to. I don't care if you're in New York, Paris or Madrid, you see less formal dress.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

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  • 1 year later...

I did a search and didn't turn up anything. I'll be there next week for dinner midweek and was wondering if anyone has been there. Thoughts on what to order?

Le Violon d'Ingres website

Grace Piper, host of Fearless Cooking

www.fearlesscooking.tv

My eGullet Blog: What I ate for one week Nov. 2010

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That restaurant is a favorite of the posters and manager of Bonjourparis.com

They give a discount if you mention the site(they did last few years)

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly....MFK Fisher

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I ate there about two years ago and very much enjoyed it. It's was little stuffier than I expected but the food was very good. After dinner we hung out down the street at Cafe Constant with Chef Constant and his wife Catherine and they were lovely. I'm sure there are threads that include discussion of Le Violin d'Ingres here . . . .

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I've eaten there twice, the last time two years ago, and enjoyed it very much both times. If you are up to eating a lot, the degustation menu is a good way to go. If not, discuss what you like with Madame Constant or the captain, and they will help you decide.

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For me, I wouldn't go to Paris without an evening at Violon. Catherine and Christian are two of my favorite people!!

Their new places are also very popular.

I usually have the tasting menu along with an accompanying tasting wine menu!

I will leaving for France the first of the week myself...I will only be connecting in Paris for flights...

You will have a wonderful experience with the Constants!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm not sure when you'll be here Muse, but three of us (all eGullet addicts) ate there today and it was bloody wonderful for a 45 E "menu-carte" at lunch: back to the future with foie gras, tete de veau, pied de porc, palombe, souffle, etc.

John Talbott

blog John Talbott's Paris

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I'm not sure when you'll be here Muse, but three of us (all eGullet addicts) ate there today and it was bloody wonderful for a 45 E "menu-carte" at lunch: back to the future with foie gras, tete de veau, pied de porc, palombe, souffle, etc.

Is it the same menu for dinner?

www.parisnotebook.wordpress.com

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I'm not sure when you'll be here Muse, but three of us (all eGullet addicts) ate there today and it was bloody wonderful for a 45 E "menu-carte" at lunch: back to the future with foie gras, tete de veau, pied de porc, palombe, souffle, etc.

Is it the same menu for dinner?

My understanding is that the price is the same, but I'm not sure about the number of specials and we didn't ask and Galesne in Les Echos doesn't say.

John Talbott

blog John Talbott's Paris

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  • 2 weeks later...

We stopped by Le Violon d'Ingres today and had lunch. Christian Constant has finally hit upon a concept that is filling the place, which was never the case at lunch since he opened several years back. The decor has been changed to a brighter, more casual design; gone are the serigraphs of Ingre's paintings which replaced the original decor featuring the showcased violon, and this 3rd reworking is packing them in. We got there early and I had the chance to chat briefly with M. Constant; he is taking more of a managerial role for the 3 places on St. Dominique and seems pleased with the recent changes. The lunch menu is €36 or €45 depending on whether you want 2 or 3 courses. Some of the old classics, such as his foie gras, cotes de boeuf á la plancha, St. Jacques poeles, pigeon, etc. are still there, but there are several new items. I started with a crême de potiron soup which would probably even convert John Talbott, with its tiny raviolis de brebis, cubes of foie gras, ciboulettes and his classic croutons de mie de pain. I followed this up with an unusual offering for a starred restaurant, a cassoulet, which was as good as I ever need, with 2 kinds of sausages, a piece of lamb, duck, pork and a slice of bacon. The white beans were cooked to my taste for cassoulet, still intact, just waiting to explode their flavor as you bite into them, rather than the mush that one sometimes encounters. The old wine list is still available if you wish to sample some extraordinary bottles at extraordinary prices, but now there is a shorter, much more affordable list which goes well with the lunch selections; for example, I had a Rousillon Village for €25 which went well with the cassoulet and my wallet. My wife ordered the Coquille St. Jacques, which are in season now, seared and served with caramelized endives and a butter/citrus sauce which she declared an excellent choice. Dessert was raspberries with mascarpone, lime, honey and vanilla. Our total bill with 2 glasses of champagne, 1 coffee(Richard from his neighbor on St.Dominique) and a bottle of Chateldon mineral water was €130.80. our bill yesterday for lunch at Taillevent was just about 5 times this much and was excellent in every way but I hesitate to say it was 5 times superior.

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JIM... I enjoyed your usually complete report that I've missed for some time.Expect to be in Paris the beginning of November and I don't think I'll want to miss Violon.

Mimi, good seeing you here.

BPAL

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A few weeks ago i had lunch with john talbot and pitpois at le violon .

Constant ,chef and owner recently had changed the focus from the formal to the informal, following a current trend in paris.

The entrance is lined with wine racks and even a refrigerator,followed by a bar on the right.The seating is simple but spacious .No glitter or mirrors.

The menu also has been simplified. 4-5 choices in appetizers , main and desserts only.Fixed or a la carte is 40-50 euros.I beleive for both lunch and dinner. Small and quite a reasonable wine list.Also Mme constant is gone,so service is a bit lax.

THe food is sophisticated tradional.The result is outstanding.Tete de veau, or pied de porc which have been around for 100 year is treated in a new way.They are very tasty , cruchy or tender. My pied de porc consisted of crisp skin filled with tender pieces of meat, in the shape of you guess what ,surrounded with pommes mousselines. all with wonderful sauce.MY appetizer was a mixture of foie gras ,just etheral.

A vanilla souffle with caramel topped the meal.WE drank a white carbonnieux,well balanced and mineral,although a bit oaky.Pic st loup red,fruity went very well with the porc and the rest.

Incidentally Eric fauchon from le Bristol ,who worked with constant was across from us.

Overall an excellent meal ,specially for the price

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  • 2 months later...

I'd like to add something to my review of 28 Sept, that I don't think has been commented on above. On the 45 E menu-carte today were I think 5 desserts and 3 specials. Four of us had four different ones and each was superb. Colette's hot vanilla souffle with caramel sauce may have been the best; the tarte tatin was superb; the chocolate (Constant) tarte was splendid and my "Paris-Brest" while revisionist, was terrific. Himself was not there, but the pastry chef sure was.

Edited by John Talbott 1 Jan 2007 to link review.

Edited by John Talbott (log)

John Talbott

blog John Talbott's Paris

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  • 4 weeks later...
Can someone please confirm whether the dinner menu is priced the same as the lunch menu.  The web site of Le Violin d'Ingres does not include prices.  Thanks very much for the help.

I ate there on the night of 22 December 2006. Yes, the dinner menu is 45e for 3 courses, 36e for entree and plat or 32e for plat and dessert.

Service is much less formal than previously but cooking is just as good as before.

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  • 1 year later...

Cool and brisk Tuesday morning - lots of French Fathers walking their children to school all cutely bundled up, the children...not the fathers....

Lovely to be inside the cafe having our grands cafe cremes with our morning croissants.....la bonne vie de touristes a Paris....

Got to rush - we have to buy up those scarves on rue Augereau. Unfortunately, there's only one left. Joan needed more so we will go on another adventure somewhere else.

On to Le Violon d'Ingres. We started with flutes of "Demoiselle Parisienne" (champagne made for Christian Constant). J started with "Salade de noix de Saint Jacques" - those scallops were fat and cooked just right ---so tender they might just melt in your mouth. That was accompanied by glass of Sancerre blanc. L had the "Tranche de Foie Gras d'Oie brioche aux Gelee de Pinot Noir". It's as good as if one is in Perigord. Half glass of the demoiselle accompanied that one. Didn't think we can handle a Sauternes at this time; besides Sauternes make L sleepy (it's too early in the day for a nap).

J had a "Canard Croise" - half a wild duck caramelized and coated with crushed pistachios, served with pureed and sauteed quince, served with a bunch of lambs lettuce. This was accompanied by a glass of Rousillon. L had "Supreme de Bar Croustillant aux Amandes, Sauce Ravigote" accompanied by a glass of Sancerre Red. This is the crispiest croustillant we've ever had.

At this point, Christian comes in the restaurant, stopped by to chat and of course, to give us "des gros bisous" to tell us that Catherine (his wife) will be coming in later to say hello.

Dessert time: Gelee de Marrons for J (a layer of chestnut cream topped by a layer of mascarpone and topped again by a layer of red fruit jelly); and L had Souffle chaud aux sauce caramel de beurre salee - so light is the souffle paired with the richness of the the butter caramel sauce - just right as before the desserts were serve Catherine Constant came in abd bought us more Demoiselle Parisienne and presented J with one of the aprons from the restaurant. That would make a great souvenir to take back to North Carolina. And a great way to end the afternoon.

On to our new gorgeous apartment - Cotes du Rhone of Paris Perfect. I think we'll stay in now for the rest of our trip. It is so beautiful!!!!

More later.........

a bientot et bisous de Paris......

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