La Fontaine De Mars - Upstairs ??

[corporal nym]

Is the UPSTAIRS at La Fontainea comfortable place to dine ? I have enjoyed dinner at La Fontaine in the past, but nenver seen the upstairs. I'm leery of upstairs at any place as it can seem remote, separate, not part of the ambience etc. We have a group of 12 and La Fontaine says we can only be upstairs. Any advice on this?

[Oakglen]

Upstairs is quite acceptable, it is nonsmoking and where they tend to put English speaking tourists. As I recall, the space is small, perhaps 6 tables, but that was before the recent renovations.

[souphie]

But it is still a dining room, right? In France, "upstairs" in a restaurant has a very precise connotation.

[Oakglen]

Still a dining room, of course, and the wait staff are conversant in English. We should not get "bent out of shape" when placed in an "English" section of a restaurant. It is just a way of matching language skills with customers. At least I try to have that attitude.

[jock]

""upstairs" in a restaurant has a very precise connotation."

Precisely what is that connotation if I might ask?

[souphie]

Do you really need to ask? What about "after-dinner intimacy"?

[PhilD]

Agree upstairs is fine. However, the restaurant is so popular with english speakers that in my experience there are as many upstairs as down.