When in Paris next month, I’d like to do one *** dinner. Not L’Arpege. But also not something impossibly stodgy. Something that is appropriately over the top, but still has elements of the unexpected. And of course, a meal that will be awesome.
Suggestions? I am aware of the usual suspects for good dining in Paris and will be going to those on other nights. But I want to be blown away, both in execution and ingredient quality, once.
Yet to go but I’ve heard great things about Epicure/Le Bristol recently.
Guy Savoy. But it’s the only Paris 3* I’ve been to, though I’ve been three times.
Sounds like you might like Pierre Gagnaire.
We’re going to Arpege for dinner on Friday. We like it there.
There’s something weird about Paris’s Michelin *** restaurants, in my opinion. You’d think that Paris would have restaurants that represent the pinnacle of French gastronomy in beautiful settings with impeccable service. But I’m starting to get the feeling that, at least for my conception of an ideal *** dining experience, some of the ** places are better. We really liked L’Arpege, but frankly I don’t think it is as good as, say, Manresa (if I could name an analogous super expensive, vegetable-centric, somewhat casual, concept-driven restaurant), and well beneath Saison, French Laundry, Per Se and Meadowood. You probably saw Charlie Fu’s recent report, where he liked Passage 53 (another ** star) much better than L’Arpege.
It sounds like you have already eaten at L’Arpege or have reached a similar conclusion, but have you considered Le Cinq, for example? A lot of people (including Paris by Mouth) seem to think it offers the best ***-ish experience in Paris.
Most of our meals will be at 2 star places (with exception of lunch at Arpege). But I’ve never done the full French 3 Star over the top experience, and I thought I’d like to do it once - and only once, given how stupidly expensive it is (and, so I’ve heard, so frequently disappointing). But the whole point here would be to get whatever it is that a two star lacks, or even a 3 star at lunch - which I imagine to be luxury ingredients and ridiculousness, more than some sort of objective “quality”.
First, I’m gonna cheat: take the train to Troisgros. Meets your criteria perfectly and better than anywhere in Paris will.
Playing by the rules, I think Le Cinq (which I guess is cheating because it only has two stars, but it’s every bit on the level of the *** places), Epicure, and L’Astrance may be the best options. I love Gagnaire, but the cooking is so idiosyncratic that it’s hard to recommend without caveats, and it’s not the typical over-the-top *** experience.
A lot of you guys have eaten at these places more recently than I have, but my one meal at Pierre Gagnaire was truly spectacular. I’ve eaten at Guy Savoy too and while it’s a wonderful meal, it’s much more stuffy than Gagnaire.
I’ve never seen anybody on WB review Le Meurice, but I wonder if that might be a better option than one of the trendier places like L’Astrance for an over-the-top experience that is unlike what you can find at a fancy restaurant in NYC. The other place that I’d really like to go next time I’m in Paris is Ledoyen. We walked by and peeked in; it’s a beautiful spot. It was also started in 1778 (per Wikipedia), which I think adds to the intrigue coming from a country that considers a restaurant started in the 1950s to be historic, though that might not matter much to others. It’s another place that has not been discussed much here, but the chef’s stated emphasis on reinterpreting the classic sauces makes it stand out in my mind against all the trendy places that are all about vegetables and simple preparations.
you’d have to be a straight up lunatic not to.
Ledoyen is really good - except for the wine list which is atrocious (really limited, very young, and very expensive for Paris ***).
My pick isn’t a 3, it’s a 2 - Taillevent that should be a ***. Wait a couple years and it will be again. (the Mouton Rothschild of restaurants?)
I’ve heard unfortunate things about Pre Catelan. My next 3 is going to be L’Ambroisie.
gagnaire has fantastic service but the food is quite weird and is more volatile than arpege. for something classic it is hard to go wrong with epicure. if you really want an experience head to l’ambroisie. I love le cinq by le sqeur but the food is more modern.
L’Astrance!
I’d probably recommend L’Astrance or Gagnaire if you really want 3 stars. Carre des Feuillants is an excellent 2 star that deserves three. Passage 53 and Pages are both awesome regardless of the stars they hold and I recommend them both highly for a top-end meal.
Carre des Feuillantes was very disappointing last year and Alan Weinberg thought the same. The wine list is almost worth it though. Definitely not a three star night for us, unless you include the 2005 Rousseau Chambertin for 500 Euros…
i love astrance but it is not really a true 3 star experience. i have had many great deals on the wine list and love the food but the operation is very different to classic addresses. i think gagnaire retains the 3 star model but is still very subversive with the cuisine. that being said i prefer astrance.
I don’t disagree with you. However L’Astrance IS 3 star food. If you want 3 star service which I don’t, I mean that I don’t want it. I ate lunch at Gagnaire in the summer and at one point we had close to 10 people swarming our table. The service was so attentive that if felt over-the-top to me and actually became a negative. And the crazy way they do the menu with literally 100s of possible permutations made my head spin. I do like the food and have gone more than once. When I ate at L’Astrance last we were brought into the small kitchen so we could say hello to Chef and there he was at midnight putting together his market order for the next day. You will not find to many 3 star chefs in the kitchen at midnight.
don’t get me wrong, it is totally my style of place and service. and the food is good without doubt. but in the op it said “appropriately over the top” and to me astrance is more about restraint. however if i did not dine at these types of places frequently and just wanted one experience, i would go for something more opulent.
I had dinner at three different *** in France (two of them in Paris) last week and my best meal of the trip was at Epicure in Le Bristol Hotel.
Even though I have been a huge fan of Troisgros in the past, boy has it slipped. I’ve always considered it the best restaurant in the world; last week it was–at BEST–a ** experience. Mediocre service, just ok food. And that’s with Pierre Troisgros meeting us and having cocktails with us. Very very very disappointing.
i think epicure is great, however for me the desserts are maybe more sweet than i prefer. the room is great and the service is perfect. the food is classic and rich. some say it is boring but to me it is the ultimate in comfort food. ala carte prices are quite friendly for a 3 star and portions are large.