Thoughts on a few Paris Restaurants

[cvalcar]

We are finalizing our Family trip to Paris for the Holidays and between myself, other family members and the concierge we have come up with the following places please let me know if we have any obviously horrid choices!! I think Jules Verne may be a poor choice but we are tourists :).

Lunch - Angelina, L'AOC, and Nabulione
Dinner - Chez Francis, Le Soufflé, Jules Verne, and Atelier de joel Robuchon

Thanks so Much!!

[souphie]

Is John's assumption that your family include small kids correct?

I can't say I understand how you came with the particular selection you list. None of them, except maybe Robuchon, is best in its class. But none is terribly bad either. L'AOC needs careful ordering -- they boast about their beef or roast chicken but that is not what they do well -- get the patés, the pied de cochon, the os à moelle, the bourguignon instead. With that caveat I like l'AOC a lot.

Angelina -- why go for more than hot chocolate? The main appeal of the place is the setting, so why linger?

[Busk]

Agree on Angelina. Hot chocolate only.

I don't even think their pastries are very good anymore. There was a time when their salads were good and a good value, but I think that's gone south as well.

[John Talbott]

"Is John's assumption that your family include small kids correct?"

It was my assumption anyway (that's my defense and I'm sticking to it.) I agree with deluca that it's horrid but my gang, 5 of them, then 2-8 yo, loved it. So I've always mentioned it.

[cvalcar]

We will have one small child (2 yo daughter). As to the choices as I mentioned before it was more of group choices. Based in some part to the touristy activities we would be doing the days we are there. My sister and I are the only ones in the group that is concerned with fine dining and I am not the principal financial contributer to the trip if you get my drift :). My little sister is attending culinary school at Johnson and Wales next year so she helped me get my foot in the door(it is her high school graduation trip). Thanks for your input especially about the ordering choices. I have enjoyed researching the many posts from this board as I prepared for the trip. I look forward to sneaking away from the group and have a list of places I will try to pop in solo. Thanks again! Paris in only 10 Days!!!!!

[buttertart]

We've been to Paris four times, had dinner and lunch at the Jules Verne (that's me at lunch in my avatar) and enjoyed it very much both times. It's glorious by night and beautiful by day. Try to get a reservation for a window seat and do dress up a little, people in jeans and sneakers seem to get shunted to the sidelines. The Eiffel Tower is one of the relatively few big-name tourist attractions in my experience that far exceeds expectations.

[cvalcar]

That is great to hear, I kind of figured it would have just been high price low quality due to the nature of it being a tourist location. We have reservations already!!!

[buttertart]

Nope, we were steered toward it by reliable French friends who also scored the window tables for us on reserving - we wouldn't have gone there either, thinking it would be like a North American top of building rotating restaurant kind of thing. It's very good food and the views are truly spectacular. Dinner we overlooked the Arc de Triomphe and lunch the Trocadéro. It doesn't get much better than that.

[schtroumpfette]

Here are my thoughts on Le Jules Verne.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/663735

[John Talbott]

Well, my prejudices are well known, but, still, yet, again, I must respond:
"Lunch - Angelina, L'AOC, and Nabulione
Dinner - Chez Francis, Le Soufflé, Jules Verne, and Atelier de joel Robuchon"

Le Soufflé and Atelier de joel Robuchon - Ok.
I'd add the Breizh Cafe and Leon of Brussels moules if your famille includes kids.
And if the family/kids are up to l'Atelier why not a Constant number - the Fables or the Cafe?
But then again my rule (disputed by Soup) is to take kids of all ages (3 months to 50 years old) wherever I'm going and just take enough mouth-plugs, stickers, coloring books, chapter books, jump ropes or iPhones, depending on ages, to occupy them.

John Talbott
http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/...

[mangeur]

Would you like to explain your recommendation of Leon?

[Delucacheesemonger]

Yes, this should be an interesting defense. IMHO, as bad as it gets

[Busk]

In for the pile on...