5 days in Paris -early Sept - Have I chosen well?

[hungrynewyorker]

Hi - I'm going to have 5 days in Paris in early September and have decided to go all out. Would love reactions from folks here about my choices. Any mistakes? Any must-have dishes? Any places I'm missing that would warrant changing things around?

Thanks in advance!

Day 1:
Dinner, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

Day 2:
Lunch: Jules Verne
Dinner: Le Comptoir du Relais

Day 3:
Lunch: Guy Savoy
Dinner: Les Savuers de Flora

Day 4:
Lunch: Le Ziryab (at L'Institut du Monde Arabe)
Dinner: L'AOC

Day 5:
Lunch: Senderens
Dinner: Pierre Gagnaire

[hungrynewyorker]

Thanks to you all. Souphie, I have a hunch you're right about skipping lunch, but with only 5 days, I'm torn!

[ChefJune]

Think of it this way: if you eat yourself sick, you won't enjoy any of it!

[pammi]

This was the kind of itinerary my husband and I set for ourselves on our honeymoon. You get out of lunch 3ish and are back on the banquette at 8ish, with barely enough time to enjoy Paris,much less digest. ChefJune's point is very well taken..

[souphie]

Especially in this economy, you don't need to have a fixed program. You can improvise, depending on your hunger. Only a few restaurant will decline a last minute reservation, especially on a weekday. Even then, you'll always have a worthy alternative.

[John Talbott]

Sounds good to me so long as you're only two at l'Atelier, think Gagnaire & Savoy are worth the price, are willing to accept that Senderens is not the old Senderens/Lucas Carton and need a BBQ fix at AOC rather than pick up a chicken from your local rotisserie.

[souphie]

I'm not sure l'AOC is to be recommended for barbecue. In my experience, they're much better with the terrines, the offals, the stews.

Senderens is really not what it used to be, and as much as the chef is a God to me, I can't really recommend the restaurant, save for desserts. You still may have a wonderful meal there, but the odds have become too bad. Also, any other meal on the same day as Gagnaire is a mistake, methinks.

[John Talbott]

Just so I'm clear; I was using BBQ in the American backyard (Weber grill) sense not the Texas/NC/KC/etc sense - in France it would be rotisseried and whereas when AOC opened it was heavily tilted to rotisserie items, a glance at the menu now shows less focus there. I just have a problem ordering a rotisseried chicken at a restaurant when I can get the same or better from my guy on the street.

[souphie]

I agree that rotisserie chicken in general is not a smart buy.