As promised, our final day at lunch took us to Tour d’Argent. It seemed a fitting way to celebrate my mother’s retirement, and wow - it delivered. The view and wine list were as good as advertised, and the food surpassed my expectations. The amuse were nothing to write home about, but most of the short course dejuner menu were fantastic.
As for the wine… well, the list is overwhelming. They claim 300k bottles, in a massive book that has its own table. We wanted a white burgundy, and after pondering if we wanted to play premox roulette, we opted for a 1996 Raveneau 1er Cru Butteaux. The oldest Rav I’ve ever had. It’s hard to tell from the photo but the color was perfect - it had incredible freshness, verve, and depth. Just outstanding, and another reminder for me that Raveneau is one of those few high-end bottles that almost always delivers on its price.
Zac - Congratulations. Your parents will never forget this, nor will you. I did essentially the same thing back in the day (in Paris), and now have one parent gone & the other too old to travel - but still savoring our extraordinary Paris trip & her birthday meal to this day. Plus I carry the memory always in Paris, and in the US.
BTW, if you don’t mind my asking, what was the price for that Butteaux? I have found a way here in Paris to buy off that list kind of back-cellar-door, and so have been dipping my toe in. So far I’ve gotten a '96 Clos de Cortons Faiveley & 2 x '93 Ecard Savigny 1er Les Jarrons at incredible prices & all of which have wonderfully delivered, so thinking about another pick-up… (PM is fine.)
Thanks Theo. My father has passed, and was sick for years before that – so I am fully aware and grateful for how special this trip has been. Traveling, celebrating, and reflecting – while still healthy enough to enjoy everything to its full capacity (and walk 5+ miles a day!) – is a gift.
100% the same experience at La Tour, except for the view during the day is stunning. It was cool at night to see the lights of Paris, but during the day? Jaw dropping.
As a side note, for those looking for a similar view without going to La Tour d’Argent, the rooftop of the Institute du Monde Arab has an amazing view. There is a nice cafe on the rooftop as well, but you can skip the coffee/tea and just go up for the view.
Bummer, they were favorites. My last time was in June 2022 with my wife and 8 year old, he inhaled several bowls of duck hearts at L’Avant Comptoir du Marche while Mommy & Daddy enjoyed several bottles. The staff were in love with him and comp’d us a bunch of things too.
Ok, so I’ve read much of this thread albeit out of order and over a long period of time.
I’m taking my father-in-law (one trip to Europe - Alsace with my now wife and I about 6 years ago) and my brother-in-law (zero trips to Europe, ever) to the UK in January. Both wanted to check in on Paris while there and who am I to deny them? Despite my family being from Wales and spending an inordinate amount of time in the UK (and visiting France plenty of times) I’ve never done more than pass through Paris. Anyways, what’s more romantic than going to Paris for the first time with your elderly father-in-law and your architect brother-in-law?
Well, as this is primarily a football trip and PSG and Man City are playing in Paris our first night no dinner is needed then, but what follows is our tentative restaurant list. Please feel free to critique or offer alternatives at will. I really want to offer a great experience for both as for my FiL it’s likely his only shot at Paris and for my BiL it’s his first crack at Europe despite being well into his 40s. Both can handle upscale, but I feel like the preference for them may be more in the traditional rather than the new school, if that makes sense.
Both are into wine. My FiL is a central WA wine industry guy and, after visiting the Hooker House when we were in town for my wedding, my BiL now buys a few cases of Bedrock Evangelho each vintage peeling off many bottles for his business partners he’s since gotten addicted to it. So, all that is to say that a good wine list is important (certainly to me), but it also isn’t the primary deciding factor on where we go.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you.
Our current list of reservations:
Thursday lunch: Chez Georges on Rue du Mail
Thursday dinner: Le Comptoir des Caves Legrand (reservation least married to)
Friday lunch: La Tour d’Argent
Friday dinner: Le Mazenay
Now quick caveats here:
My FiL has previously been to France, but he’s not exactly likely to do his obligatory attempt to speak in French thing. So, friendly to English is a plus.
We’re staying at Hotel de Buci in the 6th, but don’t really want to plan much “sightseeing,” so meals will be the event that brings us to an area. If that makes sense?
There are some other restaurants I’ve considered but have yet to open their reservation books for late January. That is to say the above reservation list is fluid/flexible. No worries about hurt feelings here.
Anyways, thank you for making it through this and I welcome any and all advice. I have heard all that came before on this thread but I’m sure most of you know how it is. You talk yourself into/out of many options despite them making the most sense. I just feel an obligation to make this a memorable experience for my FiL and BiL and don’t want to fuck it up.
I went here after reading about it on this thread. Keep in mind I go to Paris regularly and I am pretty dialed in. The wine list has been picked over and it is clear if you are not a regular (which I understand) they don’t really sell you things like Raveneau. And the food was good but not great. A fine place for a quick lunch or dinner if you are local but to me not for a special trip. If you want good wine Parcelles which is nearby could be a good option or maybe try something as Parisian as it gets like Bistro Paul Bert.
Funny on recent trips I have found just the opposite with Raveneau. Given the Kermit taxi in the U.S. I always drink it on France. It is also interesting ti see there is almost no difference in price with Dauvissat.
As I mentioned upthread, I liked Le Mazenay a lot, but I would not put it as top tier restaurant. And it would be completely overshadowed by La Tour d’Argent.
If you want to avoid having two gastronomy meals in a row, you could always do something a little more touristy, like Le Train Bleu or Le Grand Colbert. Or perhaps a brasserie like Bofinger?
Pace my distinguished friends, I think Le Mazenay would be a good choice after lunch at Tour d’Argent. I found the cooking to be light on its feet, the staff very agreeable and welcoming and plenty of wine to choose from, if not Raveneau. We went at the end of a long and stressful day and it fit the bill nicely. I’m not sure double up with Paul Bert after d’Argent would be my cup of tea. Also, a lot depends on where you are staying and how you want to get there, etc.
