Paris for Lovers!

[Dave Hatfield]

Ah! Paris when you're in love. Maurice Chevalier & Edith Piaf in the background. A magical time.

Where would you go for the most romantic dinner possible?

A three star? That little out of the way bistro? A cafe on the river? Where?

I've already disclosed that I asked my wife to marry me in a Paris restaurant. It was both Valentines day & her birthday. She said yes and I'm sure to this day that the right restaurant in the right city helped me get the right answer.

We spent the whole next day looking for a hat for Linda to get married in. We found one, it looked great & we went to Julien, then a great old standby, for dinner.

let's hear your answers.

Dave

PS: John, have I laid it on too thick?

[John Talbott]

PS: John, have I laid it on too thick?

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No way. It's magical. Now the responses. To be cynical, it might just be more person-dependant than restaurant-dependant.

I'm trying to remember where the dinner was that I had with the woman I was bats about at 18 and all I can recall was that she lived in Passy, which I thought was much too posh for the likes of me.

And I'm ashamed to admit that the last time I was awed by the combination of love, dinner and the view was at the Ciel de Paris where my wife and I were invited three or four years ago and went with great reluctance and which actually turned out to be quite huggingly romantic. There's something about the whole city layed out for you where you can't see the Tour Montparnasse.

Oh, my, you've asked a great question.

[davecap]

My wife and I went to Paris for her 40th birthday. We had our three year old with us and we arranged a babysitter for a night and went to L'Atelier Joel Robuchon. Brilliant meal, everything was perfect, wine and the waiter. We had these paper thinly sliced scallops and poppy seeds, unbelievable freshness. And of course the potato puree. And a short walk back to our hotel off Rue St. Germaine. Great night.

[TarteTatin]

I'll never forget my first three star meal experience, at La Tour D'argent, about 20 (?) years ago.

Beautiful, romantic, table by the window, the lights of Notre Dame**....an ancient Captain (the oldest in the world?), that squeaked as he bent over vertabrae by vertabrae, "Voulez vous un ap-er-it-tif, ma-dame, et mon-sieur?" (It took him 4 syllables to say aperitif, two for madame, very charming). Claude Terrail looking dashing overlooking his terroir.

The old, single, proper, coiffed lady at the next table with her dog...Numbered Duck, of course...lots of food. Apertifs to Digestif.

Then they took us upstairs to the Garden Rooftop, and made an excuse that they were called downstairs, and they'll be right back!

Well, there was a (not in use) hot-tub, and a gorgeous garden overlooking Paris! Oh, my! We kissed and it was so very romantic! They came back and got us after a long while, and then took us down to the wine cellar.... Claude Terrail (just before the Germans came in with WWII), walled up the wine, so the German's wouldn't see it. They took the wall down much later after the war, and have (had) some of the only 1940's wine left...The Cellar rat took us of a tour of the cellars, outrageous, very civilized.

(This special treatment might have been because hubby was a Maitre'd at the time, and presented his card)

Anyway, after, as a surprise, not knowing where we were going, hubby took me to the Crazy Horse. I had never been to a show like that, didn't know about this type of thing at all, hubby wouldn't say a word about the type of show we were seeing... It was great! Bottle of Veuve Cliquot, at a booth, fantastic show.

That, was the most romantic evening I've ever had in Paris!

**The story is, Claude Terrail payed for the lights to be on at Notre Dame during WWII, for his customers - the electricity was supposed to be off...

[cigalechanta]

OO-LA-LA Now that is romantic. I've never dined there but I do have fantasies

[Fai Jackson]

Dinner at Lassere is wonderfully romantic. The room is beautiful, the food and wine lovely and nothing can beat the open roof and the twinkling stars.

Not so much for the restaurant, but I think Ze Kitchen Galerie is in a romantic spot, with really good food. For me the romantic walk back to the hotel along the Seine with the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame ahead or behind is just perfect for kissing and cooing and purring. And then cut to the curtains blowing in the wind at the hotel room.

[John Talbott]

Dinner at Lassere is wonderfully romantic.  The room is beautiful, the food and wine lovely and nothing can beat the open roof and the twinkling stars.

Not so much for the restaurant, but I think Ze Kitchen Galerie is in a romantic spot, with really good food.  For me the romantic walk back to the hotel along the Seine with the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame ahead or behind is just perfect for kissing  and cooing and purring.  And then cut to the curtains blowing in the wind at the hotel room.  

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Well I agree about Lassere and walking along the Seine and across the Pont and by the Louvre - say do you think we could interest Elaine Sciolino in doing pix and prose about it?

I did that very same route just Thursday ago and it was magical.

Much as I love Ze, however, I disagree that it's romantic. Good eats, great chef, smart clients, but romance, hummmm.

[Fai Jackson]

Dinner at Lassere is wonderfully romantic.  The room is beautiful, the food and wine lovely and nothing can beat the open roof and the twinkling stars.

Not so much for the restaurant, but I think Ze Kitchen Galerie is in a romantic spot, with really good food.  For me the romantic walk back to the hotel along the Seine with the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame ahead or behind is just perfect for kissing  and cooing and purring.  And then cut to the curtains blowing in the wind at the hotel room.  

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Well I agree about Lassere and walking along the Seine and across the Pont and by the Louvre - say do you think we could interest Elaine Sciolino in doing pix and prose about it?

I did that very same route just Thursday ago and it was magical.

Much as I love Ze, however, I disagree that it's romantic. Good eats, great chef, smart clients, but romance, hummmm.

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I think I tried to indicate that Ze isn't so romantic but that the end of the evening will be. I think the sensuousness of good food can definitely put you in the mood which is wonderfully reinforced by our favourite evening walk

Edited October 4, 2006 by Fai Jackson (log)

[picaman]

I'm going back to Paris in January, and am beginning the process of scanning the threads for updates to my restaurant list. This thread caught my eye in the process--I have a feeling that my process will be slow as I respond to this and that

I'll throw in here for Le Train Bleu in the Gare de Lyon--the gorgeous Belle Epoque setting really takes you to another place and time. The food is good enough, and the atmosphere is absolutely spectacular.

Jamie

[picaman]

Found this from John Talbott in my browsing this afternoon--can't get much more romantic than a picnic in a beautiful spot. Here's a list of great picnic spots he posted:

Thursday, ParuVendu listed great places in which to have a picnic and listed the:

Esplanade du Champs de Mars in the 7th,

Port de l’Arsenal in the 4th,

Parc de Bercy and

Bois de Vincennes in the 12th,

Cite Universite and

Parc Monsouris in the 14th,

Iles aux Cygnes,

Parc Andre Citroen and

Parc Georges Brassens in the 15th,

Bois de Boulogne in the 16th,

Square de la Butte du Chapeau Rouge,

Parc des Buttes Chaumont and

Parc de la Villette in the 19th.

I'd add Parc Monceau in the 8th.

Jamie