Eating and Drinking in Paris

OK great - I’m planning on using those words extensively, along with a few “desole” in there for good measure.

Ok ok ok, another pic.

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Night 3
Restaurant Victor (16th, up from Trocadéro) was a special place for the wife and I. I was at Les Dhokans for two weeks and would walk a block to Restaurant Victor and work for a couple of hours at the bar, while draining a bottle of wine. I told the guy that was managing the place at the time (Nicolas) that my family was moving in a few weeks and I was anxious about everything, given four kids and a wife moving to a foreign country where none of us spoke the language. He insisted I bring everybody in for dinner when they arrived and it was a magical night. We went back several times over the two years we lived there, and returned for our final dinner before moving home. I ordered a 1994 Chapoutier Hermitage (in 2018) and he poured us a 375 of d’Yquem. It was an amazing evening that we’ll never forget, and reinforced my belief that most people that eat in Paris remember the experience far more than they do any semblance of an objective view of the food quality, service, etc. They went to X place in Paris and it was the GREATESR ever…

We went back Mon. nightand Nicolas had moved to a new restaurant (Piccolino in the 16th). The service was great, but the food was o.k. My guinea fowl must have taken a steroid regimen, as the breast was bigger than most chicken breasts I’ve eaten. The food was a solid 6 out of 10, but not the dinner we remembered and talked about for several years and surely not somewhere I’d objectively go back to.

Night 4 was dinner at Willi’s Wine Bar with my work team. 9 people in tow, and we ended up in a semi-private room (room name was Colette, in the event somebody is looking to land a party) and it slayed. 940 euros for a ton of wine and solid food, and I tossed in another 100 euros for a tip. To be clear, the server (Poppy) was embarrassed we left her so much and tried to get us to change it. I destroyed the <100 euro price point bottles and we came out so far ahead at 115 euros-ish a head for a private room in Paris that it was shocking. Willis is a casual place, with good food and ridiculously good Rhone wines (as well as some Burgundy). I can’t recommend the place enough for a casual dinner, and the wine list (see previous post above) is still reasonable with a ton of library wines. We didn’t kill the list like @Michel_Abood and I did (2010 Allemand, etc), but still did some damage. Willi’s is all about the library Rhone; go of you don’t want to deal with reservations on a school night or if you’re post-partying after dinner in the area. Ask for Poppy :wink:

Summary

Best seat in the house!

Night 5

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Cassoulet?

Of course. L’Assiette.

Back at the hotel now and poppin’ tops :wink:

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Think I paid less than current list for the 10 Cote Brune last March.

Then again I was so excited to drink it, I am sure I forgot what I paid

Willi’s was the first place I recall drinking Jamet. Was in 2010 and drank the 98 for 100euro

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I was just thinking that after reading Andrew’s note.

Couple of final thoughts on this last trip to Paris.

L’Assiette - I continue to struggle with the dining experience here. It’s somewhere my parents would have gone in the early 80s. The server demanded everybody’s jackets in the party (“the chef does not want them on chairs”), and we actually went back and forth for a bit because one of the ladies in the party wouldn’t take hers off (it was a light overcoat paired with a camisole, so it wasn’t going anywhere), I had to send a corked bottle back… because of course that would happen there. In the staff’s defense, after the initial eye-lasers of death, the waiter agreed it was terrible and brought another bottle out. I can count the number of bottles I’ve sent back on one hand… so having it happen there was just funny. Alain Graillot Crozes. Second (and third) bottles were fine.

Arnaud Nicolas - continues to be one of my Paris go-to places that doesn’t hit the thread here. If you are a fan of pate en croute or old school Paris charcuterie, there is literally no better place on the planet. We met some friends there for lunch and I could 100% tell they thought I was crazy for blowing a meal (even lunch) at a place that specialized in pate en croute. Aside from the mandatory charcuterie tray for the table, the pork and foie gras meat pie is legit my death row meal.


I’ve always been a huge advocate of Parisian restaurants (so many people are easily intimidated) and this trip reinforced that view. Service was fantastic across the board (see exception above) and all the spots we hit were English-friendly. The city is bracing for the Olympics, and large parts of the city are “under-construction,” which is terrible if you’re stuck next to one of the afflicted areas. We stayed at the Westin Vendome and listened to drills and trucks all hours of the night. I can’t wait to return in Spring of 25 to enjoy the benefits of the mad dash to revitalize the city… but well after the crowds have left.

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Arnaud Nicolas is a gem. I’d go to L’Assiette more often if the wine list was better. Had a weird moment there where I opted against dessert but then changed my mind once the check was dropped… took quite a bit of convincing to change the server’s mind at that point. :joy:

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You and I have both mentioned Arnaud Nicolas upthread. Love it!

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Has anyone been here: L’Antre Amis ?

Don’t want to derail the thread…but L’Assiette would have to be a mind blowing meal for me to give it a try based upon what I’m reading. Especially with the vast amount of amazing choices available. I’m very much not into paying people to treat me poorly.

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Heading back to Paris (and Provence) the 1st of May, and among other things I’m wanting to have some great seafood. My target was Clamato (been to Septime but not Clamato), but a lot of recent love here for La Cagouille. Also Sur Mer could be in the mix. Of course a meal at one doesn’t necessarily preclude a meal at another.

We usually hit up Huiterie Regis, but never been to Seulement Sea just around the corner. Any thoughts there?

Check out Le Duc. My current favorite Paris seafood restaurant.

I love the Sole. My wife loves their Brittany Bleu Lobster.

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We had dinner at Seulement Sea last year and were underwhelmed

Le Duc looks great! Probably a little more formal than what I was looking for. We have a couple of other high end meals lined up, but thanks (for future reference).

Disappointing to hear about Seulement Sea. I guess we can always count on our usual stop at Huiterie Regis.

If you are looking for casual I love Sur Mur. It is a little small and all natural wine list but it is a hidden gem. Of course Clamato is super casual.

I’d like to dine at Les Arlots when I’m in Paris in a few weeks but am having difficulty contacting the restaurant. No web site and repeated phone calls have only succeeded in reaching the answering machine which does not accept messages and appears to have been last updated before Xmas (says restaurant is closed until Jan 3rd). Any suggestions on how to make a reservation? I’d walk by and make it in person, but we’re only free to go there on our first night in town…