Europe I :Paris 7th, rue de Monttessuy

[Daniel]

Hello,

It is felt my first topic has become a valuable resource, I decided to post about my trip on this thread..

We have finally settled everything. From dates (changed for work ), to flights to lodging..

After a few rejections, we finally found an apartment.. I am happy to say its down the street from the place we originally wanted.. So i still can use the suggestions people have provided..

Here is the apartment: Located at 15, rue de Monttessuy, 7th district.. Its got a pretty decent kitchen

Apartment

So now we are planning our meals.. Dinners mostly, because we want to start making reservations immediately..

We were wondering how to attack the restaurant situation.. We both have some French Experience.. Bistro's, and some Haute.. But there is much more besides that.. We are looking for a non-touristy experience.

What I would love is if people could give me there favorite 2 or three restaurants with in each catagory.. I know its a lot so I am not expecting every person to answer every catagory.. Thank you for help.. Hopefully this too will become a valuable resource for people visiting..

1. Fromagerie

2. Boulangeries

3. Charcuterie

4. Pâtisserie

5. Haute cuisine

6. Nouvelle Cuisine

7. Bistro

8. Brasserie

9. Confiserie

10. Cuisine Du Terroir

11. Crêperie

Edited February 21, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Laidback]

Daniel,

You made an excellent choice. I have stayed right around the corner for about 8 months. The street view of the Eiffel Tower at night is one of the best in Paris from Montessuy. Right across the street(120 Montessuy) is an excellent 1 star restaurant, Vin sur Vin, with a tiny capacity but an enormous wine selection and an Arpege trained chef. A few doors down is a good Italian restaurant, Il Sorrentino, and around the corner on Ave de la Bourdonnais is a good patisserie, however probably the best is a few blocks away on St. Dominique, Jean Millet, which is close to the best chocolatier, Michel Chaudun(corner of Malar&Université), although Jean Paul Hevin on Motte-Piquet has its devotees as well. One of the most celebrated fromageries, Marie-Anne Cantin is close to you on rue Champ de Mars before you get to rue Cler; try their St. Antoine and Reblochon. The Charcuterie "Charles" on St. Dominique, close by to another neighborhood star(Violon d'Ingres) has won awards for their boudin. Davoli on rue Cler has excellent jambon blanc as well as many Italian specialities. The Café Constant is 2 blocks south of you and has excellent value. My 2 favorite boulangeries near you are "Pain d'Epis" on the corner of Bosquet and Champ de Mars and a few blocks further, Poujauran/Secco on Jean Nicot. I hesitate to recommend a creperie in the neighborhood but in Montparnasse there are many, such as Ty Briez, Josselin, etc. If you prefer one of the few remaining family run brasseries as opposed to the showier chains of the Blanc brothers and the Flo group, there is the neighborhood favorite, Thoumieux, on St.Dominique. Let me also add that 2 of the best prix fixe restaurants in Paris are within yards of your apt.; Au Bon Accueil and Le Clos des Gourmets.

[Daniel]

Wow Laidback.. Thank you soooo much.. It doesnt sound like I have to leave my street.. Your post has just gotten me very excited to go.. Thank you thank you..

[docsconz]

You should also hit L'Astrance not far across the river. You have an excellent location with plenty of great food choices as Laidback outlined. Bon voyage!

[Daniel]

Thanks Doc.. Which would you go to, or should I do both.. l'ambroisie or l'astrance or are they not even on the same level..

Edited February 21, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[docsconz]

Thanks Doc.. Which would you go to, or should I do both.. l'ambroisie or l'astrance or are they not even on the same level..

←

Of the two I have only been to L'Astrance, which delighted me greatly.

[Daniel]

If Doc is delighted, then thats all I need to hear..

[bleudauvergne]

I'll second Laidback's suggestion of a lunch or dinner at Cafe Constant.

[Ptipois]

Don't forget L'Ami Jean, rue Malar. One of my favorite bistrots.

The Lebanese joint on the other sidewalk, still rue Malar, puts far too much lemon juice in the food, IMO, but if you like that it's pretty good. The fattouche salad is probably the best in Paris.

Le Chamarré does Mauritian-French modern fusion. Expensive, a bit too fussy for my own liking, but really interesting. Corner La Tour-Maubourg and rue de l'Université.

(Edited to remove last sentence after re-reading the initial post and finding that my remark was incongruous...)

Edited February 22, 2006 by Ptipois (log)

[Bux]

Thoumieux gets very mixed reviews at best. It could be the sage setting for the restaurant I'd love to love in Paris, but I'm usually steered away by what I've read about it. It seems to serve the neighborhood well enough and I'd suggest doing a search to find out what people like about it, what they don't like about it and what it does best.

I'm glad to hear Ptipois likes l'Ami Jean. Although it was on our list, we didn't get there the last time we were in Paris, but two highly credible professionals we know thought it was just the low key respite from haute cuisine they were looking to find.

I haven't eaten at any of Constant's restaurants, but we met him a while back when he was closing shop at the cafe. He opened the taps and hospitably drew us all a glass of beer. On that basis only, I'd like to try his food.

It's hard to suggest that l'Astrance and l'Ambroisie are not on the same level, if only because I have a high degree of respect for both chefs. Nevertheless, l'Abroisie is the older more established restaurant and probably still the much more expensive one. Perhaps the more accomplished one as well and I say that with no disrespect to Barbot. Which you prefer may be a matter of style. but there is probably no more of a perfectionist than Pacaud. It's not just that he seeks perfection, but that it seems to roll off his stoves. L'Amboisie can be the sort of place that causes one to recalibrate just how good cooking can be. On the other hand, some may find the food lacks creativity or pizazz. In short, haute cuisine is not everyone's cup of tea in the first place.

[Daniel]

Thanks Bux and Ptipois,

l'Astrance and l'Ambroisie are on the list!!!!

L'Ami Jean has just been put on our list, thank you guys.. La Chamarre seems a little too much for my taste also...

Thank you guys for helping me.. I am not buying a Michelin or Food Guide Book.. Why should I, this is a much greater a resource.. (Every now and then you gotta show some love)

Are all these places considered Haute.. If you have to go to only 2, where would you go..

Alain Ducasse

L'Arpage

Le Grand Vefour

Guy Savoy

Ledoyen

Peirre Gagnaire

Taillevent - My aunt's favorite..

Edited February 22, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Laidback]

Thanks Bux and Ptipois,

l'Astrance and l'Ambroisie are on the list!!!!

L'Ami Jean has just been put on our list, thank you guys.. La Chamarre seems a little too much for my taste also...

Thank you guys for helping me.. I am not buying a Michelin or Food Guide Book.. Why should I, this is a much greater a resource.. (Every now and then you gotta show some love)

Are all these places considered Haute.. If you have to go to only 2, where would you go..

Alain Ducasse

L'Arpage

Le Grand Vefour

Guy Savoy

Ledoyen

Peirre Gagnaire

Taillevent - My aunt's favorite..

←

Daniel all of the above are exceptional restaurants. I can't vouch for Ledoyen since the departure of "La Belle Belge Blonde", but differences in responses to restaurants at this level will be highly subjective...which do you prefer, Chateau Margaux, Haut Brion, Romanée-Conti or La Tache? I personally prefer Taillevent which has maintained 3 stars since the amazing Barbot was in diapers, but expect to get passionate replies in all directions.

Edited February 22, 2006 by Laidback (log)

[mikeycook]

Pierre Gagnaire is definitely not Haute. Think WD-50. Ducasse and Savoy aren't considered Haute, but definitely high end. If I had to choose any restaurant on the list, I would choose Guy Savoy, but that is just me. I would probably choose Gagnaire second because it seems I have been reading about him for years. I think you would do well at any of them, though.

Consider me jealous.

Edited February 22, 2006 by mikeycook (log)

[Ptipois]

OK, highly subjective, don't feel bound by my appreciation, but since you ask... This is what I would do if I were given the choice.

Alain Ducasse ---> No.

L'Arpège ----> Not sure (incredibly expensive).

Le Grand Vefour -> No, except for the scenery.

Guy Savoy --> Yes, by all means.

Ledoyen ---> Not sure.

Peirre Gagnaire ---> Yes but don't have lunch, don't even have breakfast if possible.

Taillevent - My aunt's favorite.. --> good reputation but no direct experience of mine.

I'd pick Guy Savoy and Pierre Gagnaire, in order of preference. Also, I'd consider trying L'Ambroisie, Le Bristol or Le Meurice.

[Daniel]

So this is we have booked right now for dinner all nine oclock..Is this a correct time to be eating?

1)Guy savoy

2)Pierre Gagnierre- (In terms of not eating breakfast or lunch for Peirre Gagnaire, Ptipois, I take that as a personal challenge.. )

3) l'Astrance

I am assuming all these places above are going to be expensive.. We would love some less expensive, but still very special suggestions..

For Lunch we have two places thus far:

1)l'Ami Jean

2)Tellivant (booked for dinner)

If someone could help with these please..

Edited February 23, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Bux]

So this is we have booked right now for dinner all nine oclock..Is this a correct time to be eating?

1)Guy savoy

2)Pierre Gagnierre- (In terms of not eating breakfast or lunch for Peirre Gagnaire, Ptipois, I take that as a personal challenge..  )

3) l'Astrance 

I am assuming all these places above are going to be expensive.. We would love some less expensive, but still very special suggestions..

For Lunch we have two places thus far:

1)l'Ami Jean

2)Tellivant (booked for dinner)

If someone could help with these please..

←

Rather than make too many assumptions, let me suggest you get a hold of a Michelin Guide to get a pretty reliable idea of the entry price at each establishment. Better yet, as you're only going to Paris and already have your list of restaurants, why not make use of Michelin's web site.

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin

You may have to register. I'm not sure if access to the restaurant guide information requires registration or not, but if so, know that registration is free and this is an invaluable resource if not a totally reliable guide to quality and interest of the food. (I know of no totally reliable guide. Even my own opinion comes into question when I return to a restaurant and don't enjoy the second meal as much as I had the first.)

You will need to define your online Michelin searches carefully in Paris as there are too many starred restaurants in the city. I suggest you search for starred restaurants separately for zip codes 75001 all the way through 75020, if necessary until you've found all your choices, although I don't think you'll find too many of your starred choices in the outer arrondissements. As for bistros, that's going to be harder. Without an address, your choice may not show up on line. Then again, those are not going to be break the bank meals.

I assume you understand that Taillevent is as (more?) expensive than l'Astrance. My personal opinion is that Gagnaire can be magnificent, but based on what others tell me, the restaurant can have off days, or perhaps it may be more accurate to say that Gagnaire has not necessarily been consistent in his brilliance. It's a high price at which to take risks, but as they say, "nothing ventured, nothing gained"--"no pain, no gain." Arpège is terribly expensive. It can also be sublime. I've found it sublime, but I've also found the price a bit much. It's not a question of value, because it stands alone in my opinion and therefore can't be compared to other restaurants. I will note that on my first visit when it was a two star restaurant, the sommelier recommended wines in the 20-30 € region. By my next visit, the restaurant had earned it's third star and the cellar had been revamped. A glass of fairly ordinary red wine from the Languedoc was 22 €. It was hard to find many bottles under a hundred euros and the least expensive red in half bottles was around 150 €. Don't forget wine when budgeting. I really don't have enough experience to tell you which of the multistarred restaurants will have a good selection under 100 €. Of all the three star restaurants in which I've never dined and therefore haven't too much to say about them, Guy Savoy is the one that's been most highly recommended by trusted sources, but there are others that interst me as much.

[Bux]

Nine o'clock is a fine time to dine in Paris. At a bistro, you can even feel comfortable a bit earlier. At a starred, or luxury, restaurant, we usually reserve for 21:00. Note that time will more often be expressed in 24 hour terms. I don't particularly like being the first to arrive at a fancy restaurant, but I enjoy having enough time to eat liesurely and perhaps, only perhaps, have time to digest a grand meal before I go to bed. Confirm all your reservations a day or two prior to the actual reservation.

[mikeycook]

In general, I find expensive dining in Paris is high even by New York standards (at least until recently). Actually, I would say the average Paris 3-star is on par pricewise with ADNY and Per Se.

[Busboy]

To add to Bux's comments on viaMichelin, it is a great thing. You will have to register to search by, say, stars or forks or Bib Gourmands, in return you'll get an e-mail about once a month. I don't think they have the stars in, yet, but you can find them on the Michelin website.

[Daniel]

Some suggestions from someone with similar tastes as mine offered:

1) l'epi dupin- 11 rue dupin (6), right off rue de sevres (across from

bon marche). they have set menu- 3 courses for around 30 euros.

this is one of my favorites. it is closed on sat & sun which is a

bummer & is usually booked. so try to reserve early. 01 42 22 64 56

2) l'avant gout- 26 rue bobillot (13) so delicious. apparently they

are well known for their pot au feu which i have never had, but i

had the most delicious l'onglet (hangar steak) there. also closed

on sat & sun. this is one of jeffrey steingarten's favorites! 01 53

80 24 00

3) la regalade- 49 ave jean moulin (14) i haven't been there since

they switched hands. but this used to be my favorite place in

paris. it is the quintessential bistro w/red tablecloths & all.

they used to serve the most amazing pate & bread & gherkins b/f the

meal. i had a delicious brioche & smoked herring that was amazing. also no weekends 01 45 45 68 58

4) Le Grand Vefour - a real, incredible and timeless experience.

I'm so glad we did this. Something we'll always remember. This is

the one expensive restaurant that we felt was worth it. The food was

great, and the decor hasn't changed since Napoleon used to eat

there. We actually went for lunch.

5) La Duree -- Go to the one in St. Germain. It's known for it's

macaroons, but it's amazing for lunch. Really cool back room.

6) Le Mesturet, 77 Rue de Richelieu (2nd) 0142974068 -

It's relatively close

to the Louvre and St. Honore, and really has a great feeling to it

inside. I love the wine rack chandeliers.

7) Bistro Allard 41 rue St-André-des-Arts (6e) 43-26-48-23--

This was our hotel's pick. And, tourists or not, the food

was EXCEPTIONAL traditional french cuisine. an incredible

haricot vert salad and the sole meuniere, there is a foie gras and

grenouilles, which were the best ever. They also had fraises de bois

for dessert The escargot also looked amazing, as did the Bresse Chicken for

One of our best meals

8) Bistro Mazarin - 42 rue Mazarin, (6e) 01/43/29-99-01This is

right next to La Palette, and the exact opposite of Allard in the

sense that everyone was a local or university student. They don't

take reservations, and they're open Sunday nights. We thought it was

incredibly reasonable, with the most expensive wine on their list

being 50 Euros. We had the Cote de Bouef for 2 which was divine.

Also, there seemed to be a lot of orders for, as they put it on their

menu "the butcher's steak tartare," which looked really yummy.

9) L’as du Falafel - 34 rue des Rosiers (Marais) 01 48 87 63 60 -

Wow! Best falafel ever. Enough said. Try to sit in the air

conditioned addition on hot days instead of the main space. Really

great fries and homemade lemonade, too. Use the red hot sauce on the

tables.

10) Le Relais de l'Entrecôte

20, rue St-Benoit

Paris, France 75006

01 45 49 16 00

10) In 6th just around corner from Café de Flore (best place to go for

drinks and watch Blvd St Germain scene – Deux Magots is all

tourists). They do one thing – steak frites – and it is fantastic.

Fixed menu – salad, two helpings of sliced steak frites with a

delicious sauce, and then they have a huge choice of dessert.

11) Favorite Chocalate shop (of many):

Jean-Paul Hevin – there are 2 – one in 1st on rue St Honore near the

Louvre, the other near the Luxembourg gardens in the 6th (don’t know

address).

Pierre Herme - really fun

Edited February 25, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Here is my plan thus far.. Just keeping it updated..

Saturday, April 8th - NO PLANS

Sunday, April 9th - NO PLANS

Monday, April 10th - 12:30pm Taillevant Lunch

Tuesday, April 11th - 9:00pm L'Arpege Dinner

Wednesday, April 12th - 12:30pm La Grand Vefour Lunch

9:00pm Guy Savoy Dinner

Thursday, April 13th - 9:00pm L'Astrance Dinner (WE HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THESE TWO)

9:00pm Pierre Gagnair Dinner (WE HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THESE TWO)

Friday, April 14th - NO PLANS

Saturday, April 15th - NO PLANS

Sunday April 16th - NO PLANS

[Megan Blocker]

I haven't been in Paris for an awfully long time, so I have nothing to add but this: I am SO jealous.

[therese]

I haven't been in Paris for an awfully long time, so I have nothing to add but this: I am SO jealous.

←

Ditto. And I just got back, but didn't do any upmarket meals.

Gotta start planning that next trip...

[Daniel]

Can anyone point me to a good Absinthe Bar..

[Pontormo]

Have you read A Meal Observed yet? It's out in paperback now & perfect for the plane in light of your plans for lunch on Monday.

Please take your camera and shoot lots of pictures of markets if you can.

Consider browsing through Chocolate & Zucchini and David Lebovitz's site.

I love Poujauran which is in the 7th (very nice small fromagerie nearby) and Gerard Mulot in the 6th (though the latter's apricot tart will not be in season).

Consider putting together an indulgent picnic and taking the train to Chartres Cathedral late in the morning.