Good Value Paris Lunch Menus

[42390]

I just returned from lunch at l'Angle du Faubourg (one Micheline star). I found an excellent value of warm service, excellent pricing, and good cooking.

I think the theme here must be simple ingredients well executed. One amuse was served, a small ramekin of some creamy goat (I think) cheese topped with a spoonful of tapenade. From the 35 euro (!!!) fixed price lunch menu, I had what the menu described as a croustillant of legumes, tuille parmesan, a salad of thinly sliced vegetables and various greens dressed with balsamic and olive oil. This was between two paper thin parmesan cookies, simple but tasty.

The main was described as something like lange de veau, which turned out to be a thick veal chop that appeared to have been pan sauteed just perfectly, then cut in long thick, strips. This meat was fabulous, served with some whole roasted small shallots and some potatoes. Again, simple but very well done.

The dessert as a tall glass with a mixture of red fruits on the bottom, then something like rice pudding, then vanilla ice cream on top of that. It was a tasty ending to quite a good lunch.

The wine list has a good selections of wines by the glass. I had two glasses of red Samur Champigny (6 euros each). With coffee came chocolate truffles and pineapple pate de fruit.

The bill for this repas? 56 euros. This may be the best value starred lunch in Paris. I highly recommend it to all who visit Paris.

[cabrales]

You mention a 35 euro prix fixe lunch as a good deal. The same price (no choice) prix fixe meal is available as dinner, at least as of last year.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...=7970&hl=vrinat

[Craig Camp]

You mention a 35 euro prix fixe lunch as a good deal. The same price (no choice) prix fixe meal is available as dinner, at least as of last year.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...=7970&hl=vrinat

56 Euros is a good deal - both for lunch and dinner. Think what this meal would cost in the United States.

[cabrales]

The wines are well-priced too, for what they are and for a starred restaurant. Haut-Brion Blanc 1984 at 180 euros, Salon 1985 at 150 euros.

[42390]

Cabrales, my point about the pricing is that it is quite a good deal compared to some of the other one stars I have been to for lunch lately. For instance, Hiramatsu hit me for 140 euros last week, Jacques Cagna was over 70 as well as Violon d'Ingres.

[Craig Camp]

The wines are well-priced too, for what they are and for a starred restaurant.  Haut-Brion Blanc 1984 at 180 euros, Salon 1985 at 150 euros.

So much for the 56 Euro lunch.

[cabrales]

42390 -- For 70 euros before wine, you could lunch at almost all the two-stars. I lunched at Le Cinq for exactly 70 euros recently (before wine).

I agree the pricing at L'Angle is good. It is good for dinner too. There is a wide selection of wine, and the examples I gave were not intended to suggest an inflation of the overall bill, but they were the bottles I marked in my notes for personal reference.

On Hiramatsu, does that still have the menu d'affaires, and how much was the menu d'affaires (as opposed to the tasting menu)? Was the Hiramatsu price for two or for one person? If for one, what did you order for wine?

Edited April 2, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[42390]

Hiramatsu no longer has the menu d'affaires. The prices are the same for both lunch and dinner. I was not expecting this as just a few weeks ago when I reserved on their web site they were indicating both a 50 and 70 euro menu d'affaires. The 140 I spent was for one person.

This place has increased prices across the board as compared to when I ate there a year ago. They have two tasting menus, one at 92e and another at 130e. Last year I had the 92 euro menu which offered 4 plats en demi, fromage + dessert. This year the 92 euro menu only includes 3 plats en demi. I did not ask what you get for 130e. Prices on the wine list have been increased too.

This visit I ordered off the carte, and had foie gras with black truffle wrapped in steamed cabbage leaf in truffle sauce (I have never been to Lucas Carton, does this sound like their famous dish?) followed by cannette de chalans that had been both smoked and roasted. Dessert was a coffee flavored creme brulee with cannelle saboyon.

For wine, I had champagne with the 3 amuse, and a demi of the cheapest of red on the list (25 euros), a Madiran, domaine Muzet or something like that. (nothing special)

The cooking here I think is quite fabulous, just, as we say in the south, high as a cat's back.

[tjdnewyork]

We're here in Paris today through Friday. I figure the best way to eat well at a good price is to sample some of the better places at lunch.

Can anyone give their recs for the best French restaurants with a good value lunch menu? I'm mhoping for a few in the 20-30 euro range and a few in the 12-18 euro range.

We're staying in the 3rd near Republique but are willing to travel the city for a great lunch.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[John Talbott]

We're here in Paris today through Friday.  I figure the best way to eat well at a good price is to sample some of the better places at lunch. 

Can anyone give their recs for the best French restaurants with a good value lunch menu? I'm mhoping for a few in the 20-30 euro range and a few in the 12-18 euro range.

We're staying in the 3rd near Republique but are willing to travel the city for a great lunch.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

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Since as you know we have a thread now running on dinners under 30 that has drawn no posts except mine, which I suspect is because there are so many suggestions in the several threads contained in our compendium, I suggest you go to that.

Almost all the suggestions hold for lunch and dinner although as you suggest lunch is usually 1/3 to 1/2 less expensive.

Also the December 7th, Le Point, still on the newstands if you hurry out, has a ton of places 20-30 E (and the prices given are usually for lunch.)

I'll leave this up to see if it draws any new ideas and merge it in time.

John

[Forest]

Here's something I just stumbled across on Chezpim.com: (in her post on Paris pas cher)

L’Avant Gout

26 rue Bobilot 75013 M:Place d'Italie (Auguste Blanqui exit) (01 53 80 24 00)

My friend Mr.Naughton is in love with the incredible 12.50€ lunch menu here. You get an entree, plat, a glass of wine, and coffee, all included for the price, the bargain of Paris in my opinion.

And a response from another poster:

-L'avant Gout - I went for the lunch special. Without a doubt it's the best lunch special I've had in Paris. I started with a chestnut soup, followed with a pot au feu, had my glass of wine and finished with my coffee. The levels of service and the freshness of the ingredients were a pleasure had for low price of 12.50 euros.

I have to admit, I haven't tried L'avant Gout. But, going by some of the other places I have tried in this same post, I assume the l'avant gout has the same price/quality ratio. (input anyone that has tried it?)

John - maybe I'm supposed to put this in the thread or compendium? I left it here for the time being since it was specifically about lunch.

And, tjdnewyork - I just reread your post and it looks like you actually left the lovely city of Paris, yesterday, so i'm a bit late on this post. Hopefully you'll be back and can try or someone else can let me know their opinion on L'avant gout and I'll try it for lunch!

[Felice]

I have to admit, I haven't tried L'avant Gout.  But, going by some of the other places I have tried in this same post, I assume the l'avant gout has the same price/quality ratio.  (input anyone that has tried it?)

←

I loved L'Avant Gout when I went a few years ago and assume it must be just as good because I've tried to make reservations a few times recently with no luck. I wonder if the 12.50€ still exists. I think Les Temps aux Temps had an equally good lunch menu.

[Forest]

Felice - thanks for the input. I just did a quick search and a review that looks like it's newer on lefooding.com says the lunch menu is now 14 Euro, for soup, plat du jour, glass of wine & coffee...so doesn't look like it's gone up much. I'll definitely give it a try!

[John Talbott]

Felice - thanks for the input.  I just did a quick search and a review that looks like it's newer on lefooding.com says the lunch menu is now 14 Euro, for soup, plat du jour, glass of wine & coffee...so doesn't look like it's gone up much.  I'll definitely give it a try!

←

L'Avant Gout is just fine at a great price-quality ratio.

And Forest, let's leave everything on this thread, since as you suggest, it's specifically about lunch.