I know many from here have dined at Arpege, we are going in the summer but I’m interested in potentially ordering from the a la carte rather than degustation menu. Has anyone tried (or observed) both and care to compare?
Tia…
We’ve eaten both tasting menus (regular and vegetarian) as well as a la carte. At dinner; we’ve never been for lunch. The regular tasting menu is a nice introduction to Passard’s greatest hits, although it is a boatload of food. Having eaten the regular tasting menu, the second time we went we decided to share 3 veg and 1 protein, but the vegetarian tasting menu was too tempting, so we ate it, as it featured the last tomatoes of the year and I am a huge fan of Passard’s tomato preparations. Thereafter, we have shared 3 veg and 1 protein, split in the kitchen, and either Comte or croquembouche for dessert (not split). The split dishes are each larger than half portions. Last time, we ate vegetable raviolis, tomato carpaccio with geranium oil (one of my favorite tomato dishes, anywhere), couscous (which is now a main, rather than a starter as it was previously), and turbot. When we return in the fall, we will follow the same formula of ordering 4 savory dishes. With the amuses and extra tastes from the kitchen, it is a very nice way to go there.
For lunch, we did the tasting menu supplemented by one-or-two a la crate dishes and it was smashingly fun.
quod erat demonstrandum
Interesting and timely thread. Maybe we’ll order alc rather than the lunch tasting menu so as to leave more room for dinner that evening.
if possible, i’d strongly recommend switching to dinner if you haven’t been. not a huge difference, but the general vibe is so much better.
We have dinner at Le Comptoir that night.
i’d make that switch and that’s coming from someone that always has at least 2 meals at le comptoir every trip.
Can you be more specific? I’ve only been there for lunch, but the vibe was awesome, including pictures with AP
While I’m committed for lunch this afternoon (on the train to Paris right now) I’m also curious
sorry just saw this - lunch is civilized and excellent. dinner, on the later side, becomes real fun. the staff is more relaxed. sometimes usually ending up in the street with a cognac, a few cigarettes, etc.
Chef always works the room if he’s in a good mood, so easy to say hi, etc.
When I had my lunch, chef was working the room and the staff was remarkably friendly, sort of like you describe. But we stayed late / ordered extra courses / had a lot of fun.
BTW - I bought the Alain Passard graphic novel and it’s great. However I suspect that when I attempt the recipes they will not be nearly as good as at the restaurant.
but how was your meal??
I’m still working on my full London/Paris write up on the travel forum. You can go there to read about the meal, the full trip report isn’t finished yet. Heading is First Trip to London
But for those who who are allergic to the Travel Forum:
In the 3+ years since my first visit I’ve sometimes wondered if the experience had been gilded by memory. That unworthy speculation was quickly routed by the first bites to arrive at the table. Alain Passard is a true master with an obsessive attention to quality, detail and creativity married to a spark of genius that raises his dishes above not only the ordinary but even the extraordinary. After the first small bites of vegetable purees in tiny pastry shells followed by the beetroot sushi I felt that I had gotten my money’s worth for the meal. The fact that it was followed by a succession of amazing dishes accompanied by remarkable service was icing on the cake (dessert was good too). The only slight disappointment was the roast chicken and roast duck which were very good but other than the perfectly crispy skin only very good. However the small side of tiny peas on the plate was perhaps the best thing in the entire meal. How is that possible? I have no idea.
I feel a little guilty for horrifying the sommelier. As many of you know Arnold can’t drink anything high in alcohol and prefers a bit of rs so after perusing the wine list for something that might both satisfy those requirements and yet go well with the food I ordered a bottle of 2009 Foreau Vouvray Moelleux. Worked well with most of the food (I have to think it was a better match than the Bordeaux at several other tables) but the poor sommelier’s eyes opened wide and he ejaculated, “Monsieur, it is sweet!” I replied that I knew and he bowed and walked off to get it but the stiffness of his posture seemed to speak to a deep internal struggle between his ideals of service and his conviction that one should not drink sweet wine with the main body of the meal.
But really the closest thing to a “lapse” in service was when Arnold picked up his piece of bread just before the waitress turned around. So in the 3-4 seconds that the bread was hidden from her view as it made the trip from his plate to his mouth she slipped a new piece onto the bread plate. It was really amazing to watch. They take service to a height rarely seen.