Eating and Drinking in Paris

[Frank_Murray_III]

I’ll add to the chorus here, as I just spent 2 weeks in France (1/2 in Champagne and 1/2 in Paris). I used much of what I could glean here to make reservations for my wife and I. I have a thread going in Wine Talk, that will ultimately show menus and some food photos so I won’t make them redundant here. But, here are some very brief summations.

Septime–could not get in. Tried.

Saturne–enjoyed it. 8 courses. Was 85E and we had the somm, Mees, pick up a Chenin. Turned out to be a good choice. Overall, wasn’t too hard to get the rez but they were busy.

L’Assiette–loved the cassoulet. I can see why this was recommended here. Small, attentive. Got to go down into the ‘cellar’. Well, it’s the basement and we picked a bottle with our waiter.

Les 6 Paul Bert–terrific. Wasn’t busy but we got there for lunch really early. The beet dish with the citrus and goat cheese was really good.

Pacade–just happened onto this place. Just above the 1st Arr. 33E for three courses, solid wine list, to include by the glass. The food was executed well, fresh and the inside was updated and cool.

Semilla–bingo. We ate lunch here 2 days in a row and I think for both of us (and we didn’t do wine), it came to about 80E on Day 1, then yesterday was a formulae, which was 34E w/o dessert and 40E with it. I was so enamored on the first day, and my wife was equally geeked, that we went right back yesterday again. The quality, freshness and flavors of just about everything they put in front of me was spot on. I had the white bean and citrus salad there that was the best salad I have ever eaten. About fell from my chair. The chocolate mint dessert too, fantastic. If I was to give the best reco, I’d say this has to be top dog.

[alan_weinberg]

@Frank Murray III

Septime–could not get in. Tried.

Semilla–bingo. We ate lunch here 2 days in a row and I think for both of us (and we didn’t do wine), it came to about 80E on Day 1, then yesterday was a formulae, which was 34E w/o dessert and 40E with it. I was so enamored on the first day, and my wife was equally geeked, that we went right back yesterday again. The quality, freshness and flavors of just about everything they put in front of me was spot on. I had the white bean and citrus salad there that was the best salad I have ever eaten. About fell from my chair. The chocolate mint dessert too, fantastic. If I was to give the best reco, I’d say this has to be top dog.

trying to get into Septime soon—concierge will try for me. Looked at Semilla web site and can’t find a menu or much info, though Paris by Mouth says good things, too.

[M.Kaplan]

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[Andrew_Kotowski]

The lamb for two is usually the best main on the menu, but the cote de bouef we ate along side it (there were four of us) was better.
Lamb was fantastic. If you’re going for steak, though, I’d try Brutos - Michel with the win on that one.

[alan_weinberg]

@Robert Dentice

@Jerry Hey

Robert Dentice - Our fourth meal at Septime was as spectacular as all of the others one of my favorite restaurants in the world.

How did you get a reservation?

I should have been more clear it was our fourth time this year and have been many times over the years. I think the best way to try to get a reservation is to call right before the first seating around 11:30 or in between first and second between 3:00-5:00. They do pick up the phone. I would say about 30 days out or very close to your date which is less likely but you might get lucky. They will also put your name on waitlist and they actually call to let you know one way or another.

web site says 3 weeks prior—30 days is of course more than 4 weeks. They don’t follow their own rules? I should try?

[Frank_Murray_III]

Alan, see below. They look fairly similar, but Lunch Two has a few more items, and was formulae. The previous day, Lunch One, was a la carte. Also, as a local reference, I would put Semilla up against Marche Moderne for quality, execution and thought. It was for me that good.

PS–these may be hard to read. If you want, Alan, I can email them to you. Send me a PM with your email address if you want them that way.

[Frank_Murray_III]

PS

Also, to my previous post about where we dined, my wife reminded me as to how much she liked Le Bon Georges. This was her #2 behind Semilla. No menu to share back to you as I didn’t take a photo but the wine list there is quite good, and the Somm is energetic and into it. Liked him.

[alan_weinberg]

got it, Frank, merci.

[alan_weinberg]

woo hoo! Just confirmed for Septime in Jun. Did it via hotel concierge! Stoked.

[Phil_Smith]

A few quick notes from a trip last week… frankly exhasuting after 5-days:

Les Crayeres (Reims): Beautiful venue. Solid, classic food experience. Obnoxiously disorganized, slow service. Some solid deals on the wine list (e.g., '10 Coche Villages @ E150) but not what I gather it used to be.

L’Assiette Champnoise (Reims): More modern 3* environment, with classically inspired dishes. Really strong starters and service component. Mains weren’t quite as strong. Very broad Champagne list, but a bit younger. Some good deals here as well ('14 Raveneau Clos @ E160).

Taillevent (Paris): Lunch. Still one of my favorite overall dining experiences. Food is classic but not dated. Service may not be quite what it was in the Vrinat/Archer days, but it’s still very, very good. '04 Raveneau Clos @ E200.

L’Ambroisie (Paris): Old fashioned and incredibly decadent a la carte, but certainly well executed. Think 8oz veal sweetbreads with another 8oz morels and cream, or an oz caviar/dish. Wine list is limited and expensive ('14 Ramonet 1er @ ~E260). Professional service. Everything is expensive.

Le Cinq (Paris): Probably the most top-to-bottom refined dinner we had, though a few misses on individual dishes. Some classic Le Squer Ledoyen dishes still on the menu (spaghetti, turbot, grapefruit millefeulle). Extensive wine list with reasonable pricing ('10 Raveneau Butteaux @ ~E110, '09 Rougeard Poyeaux @ ~E250). Professional, refined service. Very expensive, but given the location and overall package that’s expected.

[Eric_Michels]

I really appreciated this thread when planning our recent trip to Paris so wanted to add my experience for others who might reference the thread. We spent a week in late April, which turned out to be a perfect time to visit. The weather was beautiful. Our dinners are briefly described below. Lunches tended to be casual and/or build-your-own-affairs from the market.

Daroco
Our hosts suggested this place for dinner the night we arrived. Italian. Really solid pizza and a nice upscale space.

Gare Au Gorille
A suggestion taken from this thread. Overall a solid but not memorable meal. Good charcuterie tray. Two of our dishes were significantly oversalted (this coming from a guy that really likes salt). Average service.

Restaurant Le Timbre
One of the highlights of the trip. We did the tasting menu. Modern French menu. Very small room served out of the smallest kitchen I’ve ever seen. Every dish was spot in and the service was excellent. Beautifully plated dishes as well.

Bistro Paul Bert
A low point of the trip. This place has been around a long time, has a lot of press and appears on a many lists of classic bistros. They seemed to have stopped trying and started coasting some years ago. Perhaps the number of lists also contribute to the tourist trap atmosphere. Huge portions of mediocre dishes. Menu features offal in all its forms – interesting and different but not particularly well done. Indifferent service. Definitely avoid.

Arnauld Nicolas
Very spacious dining room – unfortunately they keep the lights too bright. They feature terrines and charcuterie, which were good but not the best that we had on the trip. Pleasant service. Their welcome wine poured on our arrival was a real gem from the trip – 2016 Domaine Chiroulet Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne Les Terres Blanches (available in the US for $13 a bottle – I ordered a case when we arrived home). Wine list is heavily tilted toward expensive bottles.

Ze Kitchen Galerie
Another highlight of the trip and the only starred restaurant we visited that week. Tasting menu only. Very comfortable dining room. Again I would describe it as modern French. Excellent combinations of subtle flavors. We were seated near the window into the kitchen and it was a really fun experience to watch the activity over the course of the evening. The one oddity here is that despite it being a tasting menu only place, they have a list of dishes on the menu – not so odd, right? The odd part is that they don’t serve the same dishes to each table (there are more dishes listed than courses served as a part of the menu). It meant that the table next to us had a slightly different dinner than we did. This really upset the guy at the table to the other side of us who felt that he had been shorted because he wasn’t served all of the dishes listed on the menu. Seemed strange and unnecessary to do it this way. In any case, we highly recommend this place. Very reasonably priced for the quality.

Le Verre Vole
Part wine shop/part restaurant. Tapas style. Food just ok. Tightly packed/very lively. Would not recommend overall.

Le Petit Marche
This place was a delight on our last evening. A casual neighborhood bistro. Open on Sunday. Relatively classic dishes really well prepared. Comfortable room and pleasant service.

Another nice find of the trip was the wine shop and Champagne Bar in the flagship Printemps department store. The champagne bar had a number of very nice and a few interesting bottles served by the glass. Our server was very friendly and very serious about proper wine service. I had ordered a glass of Deutz and after pouring my glass she dumped it and the remainder of the bottle because she thought that the bottle had been open slightly too long and she didn’t like the mousse as she was pouring. I can’t imagine that happening at very many wine bars back home (though it should).

[alan_weinberg]

Epicure in the Bristol: Can you give four stars? Expensive meal worth every Euro. Troisgros quality! First, it’s a beautiful formal room, ample spacing between tables. Tables are set beautifully and the china/flatware gorgeous. Service is perfect, friendly and warm while still polite and efficient–very accommodating. Pacing of courses was perfect, food on point. Even the theatrical langoustine sauce preparation tableside was fun.

Amuse bouches were whimsical and delicious. Food was delicious. It’s a prix fixe but changes can be made. Wine list is worthy of a 3 star, but a bit pricy. Found a 2001 Serafin Charmes Chambertin that was delicious with the cuisine, and had an overpriced Leflaive white by the glass.

Won’t go into specific details of each course–menu changes–but suffice it to say that the kitchen is on its game and the food quality, preparation, and presentation were all great–no missteps.

Three Michelin stars for a decade. Not a surprise. We will be back.

[Jerry_Hey]

@alan weinberg

Epicure in the Bristol: Can you give four stars? Expensive meal worth every Euro. Troisgros quality! First, it’s a beautiful formal room, ample spacing between tables. Tables are set beautifully and the china/flatware gorgeous. Service is perfect, friendly and warm while still polite and efficient–very accommodating. Pacing of courses was perfect, food on point. Even the theatrical langoustine sauce preparation tableside was fun.

Three Michelin stars for a decade. Not a surprise. We will be back.

The two times we’ve been have been perfect. The winelist is expensive but there are some wines that are cheaper than current retail prices. The waitstaff was friendly yet very professional and attentive, but not overly so. The food is inventive french cuisine but not over the top like some I have been to. Definitely worth a visit and three stars. Our next visit to Paris our last night is Le Cinq in the Georges V. We’ll see how it compares.

[Yao_C]

Glad to hear Epicure getting some love! It was definitely the gastronomic highlight the last time I visited and the competition was stiff (Bocuse, David Toutain, l’Ambroisie, l’Assiette Champenoise). I particularly liked that the waitstaff weren’t grave or stern, but rather all seemed to be having a good time. We were also served a remarkable dish - the poularde en vessie - which will forever remain etched in my memory and is in fact the basis of my avatar. Wines weren’t cheap and I overpaid for a '98 l’Evangile, but it was a perfect match with the food and so all was forgiven

Jerry - would love to hear how Le Cinq stacks up to Epicure

[John_Davis]

@Yao C

Glad to hear Epicure getting some love! It was definitely the gastronomic highlight the last time I visited and the competition was stiff (Bocuse, David Toutain, l’Ambroisie, l’Assiette Champenoise). I particularly liked that the waitstaff weren’t grave or stern, but rather all seemed to be having a good time. We were also served a remarkable dish - the poularde en vessie - which will forever remain etched in my memory and is in fact the basis of my avatar. Wines weren’t cheap and I overpaid for a '98 l’Evangile, but it was a perfect match with the food and so all was forgiven

Jerry - would love to hear how Le Cinq stacks up to Epicure

Yeah the poularde en vessie is pretty special! And one of the reasons we are considering a return!

JD

[Faryan_Amir-Ghassemi]

Great reccos. Keep em coming!

Any thoughts on clever cocktail bars or natural wine bars? Last time I was in Paris, there was a wave of noveau hipster cocktail joints (this was 2013). Curious how that has evolved.

F

[M.Kaplan]

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[alan_weinberg]

@John Davis

Yeah the poularde en vessie is pretty special! And one of the reasons we are considering a return!
JD

the bladder just allows the chicken to steam, no crispness for the skin. Had it at Paul Bocuse and wasn’t impressed. Much prefer a roasted bird.

[John_Davis]

@alan weinberg

@John Davis

Yeah the poularde en vessie is pretty special! And one of the reasons we are considering a return!
JD

the bladder just allows the chicken to steam, no crispness for the skin. Had it at Paul Bocuse and wasn’t impressed. Much prefer a roasted bird.

Different strokes I guess…
JD

[Faryan_Amir-Ghassemi]

Anyone have thoughts on Chateaubriand? Is the “no substitution” tasting menu vegetarian/pescatarian accommodating?