437812 Mon Sep 03 18:54:28 -0700 2007 33 49 France 0 2907608 Hi, We'll be heading out to Paris in a couple of weeks and would love to dine at a couple of 3 star restaurants. We're wondering what is the difference between lunch and dinner. It's my understanding that it's less expensive at lunch, but do you also not get as large of a selection? At some of the top restaurants in New York, lunch menus differ significantly than dinner movies. Is that the same in Paris? Are portions smaller during lunch? Restaurants we're considering are L'Ambroise, Gagnaire, L'Astrance and L'Arpege. Any help would be appreciated! Mon Sep 03 18:54:28 -0700 2007 10763 Miss Needle 1 2907635 can't really comment on lunch vs. dinner but i can say that dinner at Arpege was one of the most memorable meals of my life. i can remember every course, how it was prepared, the taste of the super butter is still strong in my mind, and this meal was probably 5 years ago. but dinner at arpege recently has been more than 300 euros a person- ouch... worth it, i thought so, so did my companion, it was simply amazing. enjoy fb Mon Sep 03 19:08:12 -0700 2007 2907608 40207 frankbooth 1 2907716 It really depends on the restaurant (and you ought to check to make sure all your choices serve lunch, some Paris restaurants do not.) I have two views of it: in Paris, dinner is your entertainment for the evening. At lunch time, it's a little more hurried (although languid compared to an American restaurant) but I think you would still get a fine selection, and there might be prix fixe opportunities you might not get at dinner time. I think you can safely mix it up - have a couple of lunches and a couple of dinners -- and not feel you were cheating yourself. By the way, dress smartly at lunch, because women in France do. Mon Sep 03 19:39:10 -0700 2007 2907608 83766 brendastarlet 1 2907907 I have not dined at the restaurants you are considering, but I have enjoyed both lunch and dinner at other elite restaurants in Paris, and I don't think the service is any less at lunch than it is at dinner. There may be selections on menus at dinner that don't show up at lunch, and vice versa, but I have never noticed anything lacking from the lunch menu. I have not felt rushed at either meal. My recollection is that portions are pretty much the same at lunch and at dinner. I have to say that I enjoy the luxury lunch perhaps more than dinner for the reason that my body has more time to digest the food before sleep. Just a thought. Of the restaurants you mentioned, only Pierre Gagnaire and LAstrance serve lunch. Mon Sep 03 21:26:00 -0700 2007 2907608 52499 ChefJune 2 2908303 L'Arpège has a "bargain" lunch menu at only 140+drinks Tue Sep 04 06:30:26 -0700 2007 2907907 96547 souphie 3 2908318 Yes, l'Arpège is that cool ... Of course it has to be compared with the 400 tasting menu, second to Veyrat only, as far as I know (in terms of price). And the fact is, it is a cheaper way to access something that is still the full Passard experience. Tue Sep 04 06:34:34 -0700 2007 2908308 96547 souphie 1 2908013 All of the restaurants you mentioned serve both lunch and dinner. L'Ambroisie's menu is the same for lunch and dinner and it doesn't have offer a tasting menu. They will compose a meal of half portions if you wish. Pierre Gagnaire and L'Arpege offer a less expensive prix fixed lunch in addition to the regular menu. Neither offer any choices and I found the cooking to be as good as my meals at dinner. The drawbacks are that one will rarely get to try dishes that the chef are famous for nor will there be luxury ingredients such as lobster, turbot, pignon, etc. I also find that the prix fixed lunches only offer a glimpse what the kitchen can do. In despite of this, I find the experience well worth it. And as stated in a previous post, one will get just good service at lunch as at dinner. I have not eaten at L'Astrance. One consideration is that it is extremely difficult to get a dinner reservation at L'Ambroisie, a little difficult for the other three. If you are heading to Paris in a couple weeks, lunch might be your only option for reservations. Mon Sep 03 23:16:55 -0700 2007 2907608 10756 PBSF 2 2908105 In our 2006 April/May trip to Paris we had lunch at Taillevent (couldn't get a dinner reservation for the 3 weeks we were there, even thought we were trying two months in advance) and we also had dinner at L'Astrance. We were intending to have the lunch menu at Taillevent - but ended up doing the full degustation and it was the most memorable meal of our lives. (And in September 2007, we get to dine there…) L'Astrance was also great - the service is performance art - but we felt the chef pushed the envelope just that bit too far a couple of times. Still, worth the experience, whether for lunch or dinner. Tue Sep 04 03:28:27 -0700 2007 2908013 122119 DexterDog 1 2908295 Restaurants are not necessarily cheaper for lunch, and they have the same menu at lunch and dinner. Only some of them (in your list, not l'Ambroisie but all three others) have lunch, or business menus that are significantly cheaper in order to attract business clients. They often commit to serve the whole menu in less than one hour (e.g. Gagnaire), but you can always slow down the pace if that is not what you are looking for. Now in some restaurants, this lunch menu is a pale copy of their usual style, and in some others, they really make you taste the talent without the fancy ingredients. Non second rate lunch menus include Savoy, l'Astrance, l'Arpège, Rostang, Les Elysées, les Ambassadeurs. And you can always eat from the dinner menu at lunch, including tasting menu if you like. Everything that is available for dinner is available at lunch as well, and it will be the same cooking and the same talent (or lack thereof...). There is a notion that a party has to be a dinner but you have no obligation in that regard, especially if you are not working that day. Some restaurants only serve a few lunches a week, like Ducasse (only two), but no Parisian three-star serves dinner only. Looking in my head but no. As far as I am concerned, I always prefer going for lunch in 3-star restaurants: in addition to having the option of less expensive meals, it is easier to get a table, other clients are often in a hurry so staff has more time for you, and, as there is often a lot to eat and drink, you can have a digestive walk afterwards, or linger in a lounge, smoke a cigar, and still spend a good night not busy digesting and regreting your possible excesses. You are also likely to be in a better shape, not already exhausted from a full day of walking around Paris (A gastronomic meal is hardly a passive experience, after all). It is much better as well for the pictures that you are gonna take for us ;-) because you have daylight (well, not in les Muses...). And as far as the choice of the restaurant is concerned, it is a reccuring question on this board, and it depends on your expectations and what you really like, both food wise and in terms of fine dining. I am just back from le Meurice and I don't understand how people can want to eat under a twenty feet high fresque ceiling with marble on the walls and gold on the food. But this is an exceptional place for those who like/don't mind that. And a service so exceptional that I think IT BEATS TAILLEVENT. :-) In any case, you certainly picked the four best foodwise (I wonder if considering Ledoyen would not make sense as well). Tue Sep 04 06:27:41 -0700 2007 2907608 96547 souphie 1 2909727 Thank you so much for the responses! We'll definitely be doing lunch as I too have a problem eating a rich multi-course meal so late at night. Paris dinner hours are a bit later than New York dinner hours. We will probably also order off the dinner menu as we don't want to be limited by the prix-fixe. Great to know that there's half portions at L'Ambroise. I'd rather eat smaller portions so I can try more. Tue Sep 04 13:18:47 -0700 2007 2907608 10763 Miss Needle 2 2910464 If you do dine at L'Ambroisie, tell the staff you would prefer half portions and what your likes and dislikes are; they will orchestrate a balance menu consists of what is the best of that day. Tue Sep 04 16:28:07 -0700 2007 2909727 10756 PBSF 3 2911571 Such a great restaurant! Can't wait to go back. Wed Sep 05 02:54:22 -0700 2007 2910464 96547 souphie 1 2931568 We'll be flying into Paris Saturday morning and then leaving Wednesday at 1P. Well, our concierge got us lunch reservations on Tuesday for Pierre Gagnaire. We are also on the waiting list for L'Ambroise on Saturday. Our concierge told us that L'Astrance and L'Arpege are closed on the weekends. I see that is true for L'Arpege but not for L'Astrance according to the hours Frommers has posted. Perhaps the hours have changed. Can anybody recommend a three Star for Saturday lunch we can probably get into without much notice? And if anybody has comments on the following restaurants we've planned, I'd really appreciate it. We're trying to get a wide range of restaurants in our short trip (i.e. don't want all of our meals to be three star). It was really difficult to plan Sundays and Mondays as many restaurants are closed. Sat lunch -- ? Sat dinner -- Le Chateaubriand Sun lunch -- L'As du Falafel (after the Bastille Market) Sun dinner -- Balzar Mon lunch -- Chez Omar Mon dinner -- Cafe Marly (more for the experience as opposed to the food) Tues lunch -- Pierre Gagnaire Tues dinner -- Aux Lyonnaise Wednesday -- pick up some stuff from Les Grandes Epiceries and Pierre Hermes to eat on the train from Paris to London Tue Sep 11 13:22:33 -0700 2007 2907608 10763 Miss Needle 2 2931620 I've not dined at Pierre Gagnaire, but I'm going to guess that you are going to be two VERY stuffed people at the end of that day, and probably won't be able to eat a thing on Wednesday! Sounds like two huge meals Tuesday, for sure! Tue Sep 11 13:34:01 -0700 2007 2931568 52499 ChefJune 3 2931678 Didn't really want to do that for Tuesday but had no choice because so many restaurants are closed on Mondays, and I really do want to fit in Aux Lyonnaise. While I probably will go all out at Gagnaire, I just planned on having an appetizer or two at Aux Lyonnaise (no dessert). Is it considered offensive to Parisians not have a multi-course meal? Tue Sep 11 13:44:18 -0700 2007 2931620 10763 Miss Needle 4 2933197 My wife would often have two appetizers and no main - never caused offense - in two years of living in Paris. Tue Sep 11 22:16:27 -0700 2007 2931678 64584 PhilD 2 2933335 L'astrance is closed on weekends. They are very serious about their four days week, which allow for personal time, food and wine research (The sommelier often travels to vineyards then). I agree with Chef June about your tuesday. In my experience, even a salad that evening may be too much. But I guess ChefJune and I share a fragile digestive system ;-) Can't you have Gagnaire on sun night instead? Sat lunch is difficult for three stars in Paris, almost none is open (only Pacaud as far as I know. Let's see: not Ducasse, not Martin, not Le Squer, not Savoy, not Gagnaire, not Barbot, not Passard, not Alleno. I think that's it). Finger cross for l'Ambroisie. So, among two stars, I would say La Table de JR, but I think you did l'Atelier recently, didn't you? What about Senderens? Based on my last experience (see http://julotlespinceaux.blogspot.com), the cooking is back on track, so it really is an exceptional place again -- and I may help getting a table. There's le Bristol too, but not sure if you can get a table. There's also the option of taking one more train to Burgundy and enjoy Loiseau (or Lorain, or Meneau), if you really want to start your stay with a superlative experience (which sounds like a good idea). It's one hour and they will pick you at the station. It would add some nature in your very cultural trip (if you're into that sort of thing...) Wed Sep 12 00:35:47 -0700 2007 2931568 96547 souphie 1 2931635 My husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon in France. Polidor was reccomended to us and we actually ate there twice it was so good and affordable. Polidor - 6th Arrondissement (http://restaurantpolidor.info/index.htm) - this is a great bistro near . Rather inexpensive (including wine) considering you are in Paris. Great claissic dishes. I must reccomend the stake tartar, escargots and they had this creamed pate thing (kind of like a soup) very good!!! I recall spending around 100 euros for both of us to have the prix-fix and two caraffs of wine. There was a second place that slips my mind right now. I will ask him a report back. Tue Sep 11 13:36:37 -0700 2007 2907608 117640 2peasinapod 1 3055743 If you have not already gone, then... 2 things: 1) You seriously need to do Astrance... It's in my top 3 must eat each time I'm in Paris... I've been eating there for years (since they were a "lowly" 1-star)... True, they are only open Tuesday-Friday, but you should at least get in there for lunch... The lunch menu is a spectacular value... 2) As others have hinted, I will just state flat out: You are eating at too many big restaurants too close together... You will most likely not enjoy these meals to their fullest and will probably be sick of food 1/2 way through your trip... One 3-star meal a day really is a maximum... I usually space them out one big restaurant every 2 days and just extend my stay in Paris if there are more restaurants I want to eat at... If you don't have the luxury of extending your trip, then simply cancel a few of your reservations, you will thank me at the end of your trip... Trying to do a place like Gagnaire and anything else in the same day is asking for it... And I am a BIG eater, so that should tell you something... Good luck and have a great trip! I'll be there in just over a week and am already salivating just thinking of all the great restaurants waiting for me :) Mon Oct 22 06:51:22 -0700 2007 2907608 136572 backwardshat 1 3056249 Miss Needle, we've not heard from you since your gourmandise trip to Paris. I don't think I'm alone in anticipating your review of where and what you actually did end up eating! Mon Oct 22 09:23:34 -0700 2007 2907608 52499 ChefJune 2 3059098 Hi Chef June. Wanted to give everybody a recap of what we had on our trip to your lovely city. So sorry for the delay in posting the report. Saturday -- our plane was delayed for six hours, so we arrived in the afternoon as opposed to the morning. So goodbye to Chez Omar. We picked up a croissant near the hotel. I was surprised because the croissant was terrible. I thought that even bad bakeries in Paris were supposed to be good. As I was paying for my heavy croissant, I got a sinking feeling when I spied the Eiffel Tower made of chocolate by the register. But I was so hungry by that point, I ate my croissant anyway. For dinner, we went to Le Chateaubriand. I don't think this place really made the guidebooks because it seemed that everybody were Parisians. There was only one menu with about five courses. Unfortunately, I felt that pulling out my camera wasn't really appropriate for this place so I don't remember everything we ate. There was a delicious mold of pork with olives as well which was full of flavor. I enjoyed that very much. I do remember there was a delicious cheese course and a rich chocolate cake with olives and olive oil. I don't think the chocolate thing was my thing -- it was too heavy and I'm not the biggest fan of olives. Place was swamped, and it didn't seem like there were enough servers for the volume of people. But we just chilled out and did some people watching in there. Loved the portion sizes -- that's what I think a perfect sized meal should be. I've got to say that I wasn't used to all the cigarette smoke in there. It kind of detracted from the food -- and I'm a former two-pack-a-day smoker! I'm glad we went there, but just not our cup of tea. Sunday -- Bastille Market. What a glorious market that was! Fresh produce, meat, seafood and cheese everywhere! There were cheese stands everywhere! It was a beautiful sight! I had a croissant from one of the vendors -- much better than Saturday. There was a beautiful display of roast chickens and roasted potatoes started to get my husband hungry. We proceeded to make our way down to L'As du Falafel. There was a huge line. We ordered two falafels and an order of fries. L'As du Falafel's line was longer than the other falafel joints in the neighborhood -- and rightfully so. It was so much fun to watch those guys assemble our sandwiches. I really loved how they assembled the sandwiches, layering nuggets of falafel with fresh and pickled veggies. It provided for an even distribution of falafel and veggies and bread in every bite. Actually, I just took a fork and ate the veggies and falafel as it as too messy to take bites (I'm a very messy eater). Most places I know where they have falafel in a pita, they just stick the balls on the bottom and top with salad and tahini. Not the way to go -- L'As du Fafafel totally got it right. The fries, though, I think were packaged too early, and were limp and underdone. We then stopped at Berthillon. I got the salted caramel ice cream which was absolutely delicious. I also loved the small portion size. No wonder Americans are so fat -- I think three of their scoops equals one American scoop of ice cream. We then proceeded to Balzar for dinner. For appetizers, DH ordered escargot and I ordered the French onion soup. They were both indeed very tasty. The French onion soup was huge, though! That and a salad would make a pretty hearty meal. I ordered the calves liver with roasted potatoes and DH ordered the roast chicken (he was still thinking about the Bastille Market). They were both good versions -- the liver being better than the chicken. Monday -- We had some Laduree macarons for breakfast. They were indeed tastier than the macarons I've had in the States. They were actually a bit denser than the macarons I've had before. I loved the salted caramel. DH loved the beet red one. We then had lunch at l'Arpege. We were looking to do a couple of three star restaurants, and we didn't plan our trip very well as most restaurants were closed on Sundays and Mondays. But l'Arpege was open and we opted for the tasting menu. We're not in Paris everyday. We had some amuse bouches of sauteed leeks, roast beet and cream and yellow tomato in crisp tart shells. They were indeed very tasty. Loved the vegetable centerpieces in the restaurant. The deep yellow creamy butter they served with the bread was so satisfying. The best butter I've had so far. We started off with an egg custard with maple syrup served in an egg shell. Good but a bit too sweet for my taste. We then had the silky smooth red tomato gazpacho with mustard ice cream. The gazpacho was very good -- they must have removed all the skins and run it through the chinois several times because it was very smooth. The waiter was able to scoop out a quenelle of the mustard ice cream tableside with one hand. Haven't seen that one done before. Most people I know need both hands to do this. Masterful! While it was very impressive we both thought that the quenelle of the mustard ice cream was too large in comparison with the gazpacho. It overwhelmed the subtle gazpacho. We then had a lobster dish topped with radish shavings. Bit too sweet for my taste. Then we were served mussels in saffron foam. That was indeed a delicious dish -- the first dish that was not too sweet. I understand that the sweetness can bring out the flavors of seafood and vegetables, but I thought it was dominating the dishes. We then had a medley of different vegetables -- different types of beets, zucchini, turnips. It was absolutely scrumptious! I think each vegetable was cooked separately as they were indeed perfectly cooked. We were then served seabass served with an orange sorbet -- yet another sweet dish. We then were presented with a huge-ass hunk of duck that was aggressively spiced with another sweet marmalade. By that point, we were so full that we were only able to eat a small portion of the meal. I was also getting tired of all the sweetness during the meal. After the duck, we were then presented with this huge slab of cheeses. We asked them to compose a cheese plate for us. We were given four cheeses each. They were very good. There was one really stinky one that ran on my plate like soup which wasn't really my taste. We then had the infamous tomato dessert which was delicious. I don't think it was DH's thing though. We were then given a couple of pieces of cake rolled in sugar (not our thing) and a couple of chocolates. I have to say that's the most we ever spent on a meal. Got a bit shocked at the price (I was given the menu without the prices). I don't think we ever spent that much for a meal (we're talking four figures in US dollars here) with only DH ordering wine. I know the ingredients were top-notch and I know how much labor went in to everything, but we both couldn't help but feel it was too pricey for what we had received. For dinner, we went to Cafe Marly which I thought was totally forgettable. I believe we ordered foie gras pate (which was delicious). I don't even remember our mains except that we hardly finished it as we were still too full from lunch. If I would do it over again (and I don't think I would), I think the meal would have been more enjoyable sitting outside with the view of the pyramids. Tuesday -- We had lunch at Pierre Gagnaire. Oh my God! It was the best meal of my life! And a bargain compared to L'Arpege! We did the tasting menu again. We were presented with all of these amuse bouches -- a perfectly fried potato puff served on a Chinese soup spoon, pastry with candied hazelnuts, some other pieces I didn't even know how to eat as they were so complicated in arrangement. Presentation was exquisite. We started off with oysters in beef gelee covered with cheese. While I'm usually not a fan of cheese and seafood, I thought this was really tasty. Oysters were top-notch. You could taste the sea with every bite. The dish totally worked. We were given a choice of three breads -- a brioche, chestnut bread and a crusty roll. The butter was not quite the level of l'Arpege's but still good. We were then presented with shrimps and crab salad with a tomato sauce. The shrimp was perfectly cooked (rare in the center). The mayo in the crab salad really worked in this dish (and I usually hate mayo). Overall, a delicious light dish. We then were presented with a squid ravioli complemented by smoked squid, marinated squid. I think this was my favorite dish. The pasta in the ravioli was so tender that it melted in your mouth. The squids were all cooked to perfection. It was quite a beauty to look at as well, seeing all those beautiful shapes and colors on one plate. It truly was a work of art. I don't remember what we had next. There was too much food, and all of it was so delicious we were in some sort of foodie hallucination land. We then had some seabass with leeks. We were then presented with this beautiful dish of white fish cooked with paprkia. It was served with a delicious creamy crab broth and eggplant dish. When you were finished with the whitefish, the waiter lifted the plate to reveal yet another surprise dish! Sorry this part of the report is so disjointed, but we truly don't remember what we were eating as we were raptured in some sort of culinary ecstasy. That's when you know the meal is so good that you forget about all the individual components and just think about it as a whole. Our cheese course was a series of four cheeses served with different components -- eggplant,being one of them. While I can appreciate cheese compositions, I actually prefer cheeses by itself. We were then given a beautifully composed plate of six mini-desserts. Everything was so precious and beautiful. While we were eating these, the waiter told us, "A prelude before our desserts." I thought he was joking. He was not, as when we were done with out prelude, he brought out six desserts. One was berries with ice cream. Another was berries with ... We also had a cucumber drink topped generously with some sort of foam. We then had a very delicate fig tart with a layer of pistachio ice cream. A delicious sorbet served with a green tea syrup. The bitterness of the tea went beautifully with the sorbet. We were then presented with the finale, the tiramisu prepared by Pierre Gagnaire himself. It was a beautiful dish -- rich with coffee and not too sweet. Not a traditional tiramisu, but I loved this version even more. It was richer and more sensual than the original. Then we were presented with a couple of pieces of chocolate. This was indeed the best meal of my life -- I had to change my profile to reflect that. It used to be at New York's Lespinasse, but Pierre Gagnaire definitely surpassed that. Tuesday afternoon, we wandered over to Pierre Herme. We were incredibly stuffed but we were in the area, and I had to go his shop. I got one croissant and some macarons. I also got a chocolate salted caramel cake but didn't have a chance to eat it until a few days later. It was delicious -- wonder how it would have tasted on that day. I just took a bit out of the croissant -- delicious, buttery and flakey. It also looked perfect. I then ate one macaron -- it was a revelation! Laduree macarons cannot compare to Pierre Herme's. It was a different animal. Pierre Herme's was so delicate and fragile yet sturdy enough to hold the explosion of filling. It was crisp yet chewy. Sweet yet savory. Perfect complement of yin and yang. Piere Herme's macarons are why life is worth living. I told my husband not to get upset if I would scream out Pierre Herme's name in bed. I thought that one macaron may be an aberration so I tried two more. I got the same ecstatic feeling eating those macarons as well. I really have no idea why people say Laduree is the standard macarons should be held up to. Pierre Herme is God -- well, as close to it as possible! It's really odd of me to say this, but his macarons were inspirational -- I felt more creative after I ate it. Perhaps he's laced them with drugs? Pierre Herme is the sole reason I have to haul my ass to Paris again soon. Now, we were so freakin' full after our day of gluttony. But we had one more place to go -- Aux Lyonnnais. I know a few of you thought our plan was foolish doing Gagnaire and Aux Lyonnaise in one day. However, it couldn't have been helped as we didn't time our Paris trip well. Aux Lyonnais was a very comfortable looking place. A lot of North Americans there -- probably because of their mention in Frommers and their proximity to some major tourist attractions. When we arrived, we were given a plate of bread and some potted cheese. I took one bite as I had to save my appetite for later. DH couldn't even eat any. It was good -- the cheese was marinated in some vinegar that cut the richness. DH ordered the potted meat served with bread and pickled veggies. I ordered the eggs and mushrooms in a jar. They were both delicious -- very comforting, stick-to-your ribs kind of food. I then ordered the pike fish dumplings and DH ordered the tripe with potatoes. The waitress expressed some concern when he ordered his tripe saying that it was a "very special meat." She didn't know that we were both raised with tripe as kids and we both love it. My pike dumplings, though they looked heavy, were light and ethereal. We should have asked how the tripe was prepared as DH was shocked as the waitress served him some deep-fried tripe. It was like they were trying to cover up the taste of tripe. All we could taste was the oil and breading. Not our thing. He just scraped the breading and ate the meat inside. At least we weren't hungry when we came here. As this was our last night in Paris, we just had to have dessert. I ordered the chocolate hazelnut cake and DH ordered the Cointreau souflee. They were both delicious. I preferred my cake as I love the combo of chocolate and hazelnut. The desserts were good, but no Pierre Herme. Wednesday -- We were leaving for London today. I kept thinking about those Pierre Herme macarons. I just couldn't get it out of my head. So instead of going to the Orsay Museum in the morning, we headed over to Pierre Herme. I picked up a dozen macarons, a cannelle, and a croissant. We ate those on the train ride to London. So freakin' delicious. The cannelle was a bit too burned for my taste -- OK, Herme is not perfect, but close to it. Oh why can't he open up a place in New York? I would be such a happy woman if he did that. Actually, I'd probably be a large woman if he did that so it's probably good that he's thousands of miles away. Thanks to everybody for helping us with this trip! Tue Oct 23 08:37:03 -0700 2007 3056249 10763 Miss Needle 3 3061080 Miss Needle, I am 100% with you on PIERRE HERME. His pastries are works of art. Did you, by any chance, sample ISPAHAN? It's the rose macaron with lychee in the middle. It is the most perfect thing there is! I can not wait to go back there next month! Tue Oct 23 17:32:33 -0700 2007 3059098 108016 theskyflyer 4 3067109 I didn't see the tag that said Ispahan, but I did have a macaron that did taste like lychee. Perhaps it was mislabeled, but it was absolutely delicious! My favorites were salted caramel, rose with lychee and jasmine. I'm so jealous that you'll be back there so soon! Thu Oct 25 12:38:24 -0700 2007 3061080 10763 Miss Needle 5 3067151 heeheehee 14 days! Thu Oct 25 12:48:02 -0700 2007 3067109 52499 ChefJune 6 3068665 is when you're coming? Thu Oct 25 23:00:35 -0700 2007 3067151 96547 souphie 7 3069106 Yes, but I am taking this course -- www.heg-gastronomie.com -- and won't have any time to myself for two weeks! I am coming back to Paris at the end to have dinner with friends at Maceo!. Fri Oct 26 07:14:45 -0700 2007 3068665 52499 ChefJune 8 3072117 Sounds fascinating. I'll be in California. Very excited about it too. Sat Oct 27 08:33:56 -0700 2007 3069106 96547 souphie 9 3075844 Grr... so mad... I can't get into L'ASTRANCE, can't get into LE MEURICE for lunch in November. Which one of these 3 would you guys try... TAILLEVENT, HIRAMATSU or LES AMBASSADEURS? Mon Oct 29 07:01:17 -0700 2007 3072117 108016 theskyflyer 10 3076523 All 3 are equally good choices. You can't go wrong. Les Ambassadeurs might be the most expensive of the three, if price matters, but it is located in the most beautiful place. Taillevent has the best service. And Hiramatsu is faultless. Difficult choice indeed. What are you looking for? Mon Oct 29 10:27:23 -0700 2007 3075844 61839 Theobroma 10 3076686 I think I'd try for all of them and then decide and cancel two... (or any, if there are extras!) Mon Oct 29 11:02:36 -0700 2007 3075844 52499 ChefJune 3 3078080 Yep. I had to do the exact same thing after going to Pierre Gagnaire-- change my profile and make it "best meal of my life ever". It blew away every other fine dining experience in the States, French Laundry, Jean Georges, Daniel, Manresa...no even close. Particularly upsetting was that The French Laundry ended up costing more. Also, I was there for the lunch service and I have heard Souphie imply that the dinner service exceeds the lunch experience. Hard to fathom and but it will be my goal the next time I'm in Paris. Mon Oct 29 16:50:30 -0700 2007 3059098 13289 Porthos 4 3079048 The concierge got us a table at Taillevent. Will try for L'Astrance in Feb. Tue Oct 30 06:07:01 -0700 2007 3078080 108016 theskyflyer 5 3080936 When I called for a reservation for the week of Thanksgiving, they said they were opening their book for January and February on December 4th. (I had read elsewhere they are a month to the day, but that did not seem to be the case when I called.) Tue Oct 30 15:39:00 -0700 2007 3079048 11773 shortstop 3 3086673 What a fantabulous report! I cannot even imagine how good those macarons must be because I thought Laduree's were dreamy! Thanks for providing a few Parisian goals to set my sights on!!! (esp. PG and PHerme) Thu Nov 01 12:30:55 -0700 2007 3059098 12618 erica