Taking a trip to Europe this summer. It will coincide with my wife’s 40th Bday and we will be in Paris on her Bday. I would like to reserve a special restaurant for her actual bday but have some complicating circumstances. My 8 y/o daughter will be with us and joining us for all meals. Therefore, I think a 3* Michelin restaurant is pretty much out of the question cuz my daughter will most likely get antsy at a 3+ hour meal and I’m not keen on paying that much for her on a meal she most likely won’t appreciate or even eat. I looked at some 1* and 2* and those seem less formal but my wife’s bday is on a Sunday and most seem closed on Sunday. Any recs for a special Sunday dinner?
Also, what are some must try places in London with the caveat of including my daughter. My daughter is very well behaved and has been to a ton of “fancy” restaurants, just not ones that take 3 hours to eat. Truth be told, I don’t want to eat for the long either.
my 16 month old just sat through 3.5 hours at L’Astrance… it’s doable… call ahead, and tell them to give you the table upstairs… there’s only 2 tables there, a 3-4 seater, and a 2 seater… it’s a nice space… kid can run around up there without too much disruption.
Closed Sun and Mon, our only nights free for dinner in Paris. Thanks tho, sounds like a fabulous place.
Hmmm, that actually sounds perfect. Except for the prix fix at 190 €/230€. Not for the adults, seems reasonable for the location and Michelin star, but spending that much for my daughter is painful. I might book it anyway as finding a special occasion restaurant open on a Sunday is becoming a fruitless endeavor. Thanks!
J. Verne was sort of a “bucket list” thing for my wife. She wanted to see the sun set and the lights go on over Paris. We were not disappointed. I found the food pretty damn good, too! I thank Jerry Hey for the recommendation.
It’s perfectly possible to eat in a Paris 3* and spend under three hours, just go a la carte. Three hours is plenty for me most of the time never mind an eight year old!
I emailed Jules Verne and they said prix fix is the only option, even for children. Screw it, I’m booking it anyway. It’s my wife’s 40th and a special occasion.
Thanks for everyone’s comments saying that the view and experience is amazing, those comments actually tipped me over to just do it. On Monday, strongly leaning towards David Toutaine.
Joe, parisbymouth is the go to guide for Paris restaurants, bars, wineshops etc.
To throw another suggestion in, if you like Burgundy, try Le Climats (http://lesclimats.fr/home). Good but not Michelin starred food or prices. Huge (if fairly young) Burgundy wine list. I think a child would be ok there.
Lol, ya know I love me some Burgundy. Les Climats, as well as Le Restaurant, were on my radar but sadly both are only open Tues-Sat.
Also, found out that Jules Verne is booked solid on my wife’s Bday. Back to square one. I’m super disappointed as I know my wife, and daughter, would have loved that experience. Considering L’Atelier but that seems even less kid friendly. Maybe Pur at Park Hyatt Vendome. Not a whole lotta choices for Sunday. I’m gonna email Jules Verne to see if there’s some kinda waiting list. .
for London:
St. John — excellent restaurant that specializes in all the nasty bits; you can BYO here, and I suggest doing so. Stems are all Riedel zin glasses, iirc, so you might want to take that into consideration, too. Food is top-notch, though, and this is undoubtedly an o.k. place to bring your kid.
Pollen Street Social (best meal my wife and I ever had in London, and I think you’ll be fine bringing your 8 yo)
for fish’n’chips, go to Master’s Superfish. It’s kinda hole-in-the-wall-y, but they bow down to no one when it comes to fish’n’chips. The whole deep-fried shrimp app. that comes free with all fish’n’chips orders is pretty damn tasty, too, if not somewhat messy. http://www.yelp.com/biz/masters-super-fish-london
Best beer in London is brewed by The Kernel Brewery, so keep your eyes peeled for their brews when you’re around town.
It’s definitely casual, but we had a very nice meal at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in London a couple of years ago when our kids were 10 and 13. They really connected with the story and mission of the place and the food was good.
