Cuisiniers in Paris

[lesanglierrouge]

A former co-worker of mine is coming to visit me in Paris during my break from culinary school. We would like to spend this time eating and learning as much as possible given the available funds. We've pretty much ruled out Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Guy Savoy and the like as being out of our budgets. Also I'm not quite as interested in paying an extra 200eur a head to dine under hand-painted ceilings with fine silver and china-we're here for the food.

So in a couple price ranges, where should two cooks go for under 200eur/person? And then say 100? Do you believe the second openings of the great chefs (l'Ateleir de Joel Rubuchon, les Bouquanistes, etc.) are really worth the money or would we be better off spending that amount of money on an emerging restaurant?

Your advice is much appreciated.

Merci en avance.

[BigboyDan]

Stay away from the starred restaurants - you should be eating plainly and from a varied diet. Try ethnic spots, "home-style" places, any restaurant with the word mere in it. And of course, as mentioned elsewhere on this forum, patronise locally owned bistros and cafes...

[Carlsbad]

Under 200E per head: Taillevent and l'Astrance.

Under 100E: Les Ormes and l'Atelier de Joel Rubuchon.

Where I would spend most of my time for well under 100E: Aux Lyonnais, Le Troquet, Mon Vieil Ami, Le Clos Des Gourmets, La Bastide Odéon, and Le Pamphlet.

It might be interesting to try Le Violin d'Ingres (about 100E without wine) one night, and Cafe Constant another. Constant is obviously a great teacher. Just a thought.

[John Talbott]

Mon Vieil Ami,

←

A heads-up. Yesterday's Figaroscope, in an article on potatoes, lamented that Antoine Westermann and Anthony Clemot were devoting their energies entirely to Drouant at the expense of Mon Vieil Ami. I haven't noticed a fall-off at the latter but the former is certainly worth trying.

I'd also add Les Magnolias in Les Perreux (easily reached by either of 2 RER's or bus or walk.) It's one star and serves a 50 E menu with wines not priced out of the oxygenrich atmosphere.

I also think Ze Kitchen Galerie + Ribouldingue would be musts for a chef such as yourself. Not as pricey as the above but demonstrate the range of young (compared to me anyway) chefs in Paris.

[Felice]

I would go to any of the so called “bistronomique” (gastronomique bistro) places, most of which are run by chefs who started out in starred kitchens but then choose to go a different route. L’Ami Jean, Chez Michel, Avant Goût, La Regalade, L’Os à Moelle, Le Troquet, Le Beurre Noisette etc. Also the restaurants that broke off from those—Entredgeu, Ourcine, and now Ribouldinge. Most of the above won’t cost more than 50 € per person depending on the wine. Ribouldinge is the biggest bargain at only 25 € for their three-course menu.

I second John's recommendation for Magnolia for its amazing, whimsical food. I wouldn't be surprised if they got a second-star. Well worth the trek to the burbs.

You might want to take a look at the thread about "Jeune Cuisine"as well.

[Laidback]

I find myself in agreement with most of the above recommendations and would add "Carte Blanche" on rue Lamartine...unique presentations at a very reasonable price.

[John Talbott]

I find myself in agreement with most of the above recommendations and would add "Carte Blanche" on rue Lamartine...unique presentations at a very reasonable price.

←

Thank you Laidback; Carte Blanche is special.

I don't think Felice mentioned Temps Au Temps and Bistral in her bistronomique list, but they're worth it too.

And lesanglierrouge, you might want to check into the Le Fooding website's news section; it's following stuff pretty closely.

[pim]

Thank you Laidback; Carte Blanche is special. 

I don't think Felice mentioned Temps Au Temps and Bistral in her bistronomique list, but they're worth it too.

And lesanglierrouge, you might want to check into the Le Fooding website's news section; it's following stuff pretty closely.

←

Le temps au temps is very cute and nice food.

I had the most bizarre meal at le Bistral. Strange stuff on the menu, like some meat thing with "green sauce and red sauce". The green+red sauces were listed on the menu like that, in English. Not to mention that popcorn garnish on a weird chicken wing dish.

Didn't quite know how to reconcile that stuff with the good reviews I've heard about that place.

I won't be going back.

[fresh_a]

Taillevent under 200 a head???????? Since when?

[lesanglierrouge]

Merci a tous! This should be sufficient to keep us busy and quite well fed for the duration of his visit.

[Ptipois]

My dinner at Le Bistral was very disappointing, the food not very good and overcomplicated. I won't be going back either.

[Carlsbad]

Taillevent has an excellent seven-course 140E degustation menu (up from 130E last summer) which is taken from the a la carte offerings. They also have a great selection of wines in the 50E to 80E range, especially those from the south, which go well with the Solivérès style of cooking. Four of us had dinner there last July and the total was 1036E, but it included a 195E bottle of a '69 Vin Jaune. It also included two bottles of white wine (a Cassis and a Bandol, both of which were very good) and a bottle of on old vine Roussillon '99. It also included two coups of Dom Perignon and two other aperitifs, which totaled 94E of that price. So if you leave out the Vin Jeune and the aperitifs, the bill would have been about 750E for four, with three bottles of wine, Badoit and coffees.

Even the a la carte prices are suprisingly reasonable, and it is fairly easy to do three courses from it for about 140E. They also have some excellent wines by the glass at very reasonable prices. It is also quite easy to run the tab up as much as you want. The Saveurs et Decouvertes menu is now 190E for 7 courses, for instance, although when we were there, the dishes on the less expensive menu were more attractive to me. Of course, if you stray too deeply into the wine list, all bets are off.

Given the level of cooking, ambiance and service, I think the place is a bargain.

Edited May 20, 2006 by Carlsbad (log)

[fresh_a]

Well I've never seen prices less than 300 E when I went there, so I guess you did get a bargain!

[gastrominator]

I second John's recommendation for Magnolia for its amazing, whimsical food.  I wouldn't be surprised if they got a second-star. Well worth the trek to the burbs.

←

I'd third that. I went there a week ago and after an eighty-two euro menu, four-and-a-half hour exceptional tasting experience, I had a long chat with Madame Chauvel who explained that they were still looking for the 'perfect' setting in Paris, so the move is definitely on the cards. They'll certainly get a second star in Paris, so it's better to go now whilst they remain undiscovered or 'inaccessible' and you can get a table before they reach Astrance fame. I'm going back in a few weeks so I'll let you chaps(so to speak) know if I have any cutting-edge news.

On the much cheaper side Beurre-Noisette is also an excellent choice. The proof is that Christian Lesquer is very proud to talk about the fact that the chef is one of his prodigés.

Shame Jamin is no more, as Guichard's 48 Euro lunch menu was the best 'cheap' two-star lunch in town.

Try most of the one-stars as you can normally get away with €100 a head if you take it easy on the wine. It depends what style of cuisine you fancy. L'Angle du Faubourg is a great example.