at this point, i’d say that’s such an outlier opinion (and ridiculous on its face) that it can effectively be discounted to zero.
Lol. I know. I have dined with him a lot and he is a really old friend of Steve, so I don’t toss his take aside readily. I see him on Thursday and am really curious as to the deets.
A.
Plenty of folks report underwhelmed by Passage 53 but not in forums I usually trust.
Crenn for sure. My favorite restaurant in the US.
I would add Etxebarri to the list for cooking at that level in a casual setting. Nice plates and cutlery and a pretty room, but no formality and the patio is super relaxed. The sommelier wears Nikes and an untucked blue shirt every day.
Count me as a fan as well. On the recommendation of both Paris by Mouth and a local restaurant that wasn’t serving dinner the day we tried, my family of 5 had one of our best meals in Europe there. We opted for the chef’s choice, and while the terrine of chilled grey carrot mousse didn’t wow my 9, 12 and 14 year old girls - they all agreed that the rest was spectacular.
Count me as a +1 on Passage 53. My meal there was stellar. We lucked out and got in on a same-day cancellation. A friend here in the Bay Area is a friend of the owner and greased the wheels for us.
just made lunch rez for Toutain. Thanks for the reco
excellent lunch at David Toutain. My only complaint is that it took about 2h45m.
Great! It is France so all of the meals are long. I had lunches that clocked over 4 hours.
Dinner I can do 4+, lunch was a bit more than I like or expected.
This is why I only eat casual lunches in Paris. Even during a long visit, I don’t want to waste half the day in a restaurant. Dinner at Toutain takes about the same amount of time. And is time well spent.
It’s a good strategy for sure. Clamato was the perfect spot for exactly that type of lunch on my trip. In Burgundy when we were pressed for time we popped into a little boulangerie along the road in Vosne and had delicious sandwiches. Most lunches in Burgundy were at least 2 hours.
We had a great meal at Spring last month. Toutain was on the short list, but given our constraints, we didn’t go. Now I’m wishing we had…
Just popped in to say thanks for the original post.
David Toutain blew my mind, and service was just impeccable. Enough has been said about the food, but might I add that they really know their way around wine and their wine list - perhaps it’s to be expected, but just wanted to throw that out. We bought his book, which he kindly signed for our table.
Le 6 Paul Bert was also very impressive, and is on my list of to-dos for my next visit.
To this thread, I would add Gare du Gorille. It’s run by ex-Septime people, and offers great service, fantastic modern French cuisine at (IMHO) very reasonable prices, and a wine list that’s forward and natural-leaning. If you enjoy Toutain or Le 6, I think you’d like this place.
Headed to Paris in three weeks - thanks for all of the recommendations in this thread.
How far in advance is it recommended to make reservations at most of the restaurants mentioned here? Am I too late to start now?
call asap or better yet ask your hotel concierge.
Thanks - reservation made pour dejeuner à Restaurant David Toutain.
Working on the rest now…
Jeff - check out a meal at the original Paul Bert (should be relatively easy to book). If Yam T’Cha has reopened, I’d also try to get in there. A good option for something without a booking is Le Comptoir du Relais but you have to get there early.
Thanks, John!
Paul Bert is on the list and Le Comptoir du Relais is around the corner from our hotel. We’ll be popping for lunch…
Have a blast Jeff. Post your thoughts on the meals when you get back!