Paris 1 night--Alone and ready to splurge

[amorgs]

Hi all,

I will be in Paris for one night, December 22. Looking for a recommendation, Quality of food is my top priority and money is not a concern keeping in mind I will be dining alone. Thanks so much.

I was there back in April and ate at

Le Villaret
Le Comptoir du Relais

[capeanne]

Gosh I understand the usual suspects for fine dining but if I were in your shoes( and I have been) I would be looking for something more local ( if that can be said) and would recommend ; L'Arome, Dominique Bouchet or Hiramatsu....not palace range but quite excellent food all and just seem more intimate, non event and special to me ...pile it on.

[souphie]

L'Arome is very good, but top food it is not. BT, about your choises, as John says, they're very different. As for le Crillon, has anyone been since the new chef is in (the former souschef of Robert at La Grande Cascade)? In any case, it is in its first weeks, which is rarely when such a big restaurant is at its best.

[souphie]

If quality of food is top priority and money is no object, then there are objective responses:
Le Cinq
Ledoyen
L'Ambroisie
La Grande Cascade
L'Ami Louis (this one may feel strange if you're alone, though you probably wouldn't stay that way too long).
Pierre Gagnaire (for more adventurous food)

Honestly, in my book, that's about it for top quality.

Donnerwetter! That's tomorrow! Time to panic. Feel free to email me if you need help ([e-mail]).

[amorgs]

Souphie,

Thank you. Short notice is my biggest problem right now. Le Cinq was fully booked. Will tick down the list.

[souphie]

The list has no particular order. You can add l'Astrance (for innovative light cooking), Lasserre to it.

Do you have preferences?

Your best chance is to try again tomorrow -- last minute cancellation always occur. I'd be very surprised if you did not manage to have an excellent meal tomorrow.

[buttertart]

Butting in here - Taillevent is conspicuous by its absence - have had lunch there twice in the past, the first one was one of those meals of a lifetime. Not as good as it was?

[souphie]

In my opnion, it's been a long time since Taillevent was one of the best restaurants in town food wise. It still is a wonderful restaurant overall, with highly professional service and a wonderful wine list -- but it has not been one of the best for food since I'm in the fine dining circuit.

It doesn't mean you can't have the meal of a lifetime there. This can happen in all grand restaurants, though in some more often than others. It depends on many factors, not all of which are directly related to the restaurant.

[buttertart]

Yes, the experience was one of ultimate cosseting, one felt completely at home in the best possible way - and the food especially in 1998 was wonderful.

[ChefJune]

BT, we had totally amazing meals at Taillevent in 1999 and 2002. I know "food folks" who still think it's a divine experience, but the general consensus is that even before M. Vrinat's death, the quality of the food was not 3-star. I haven't been since 2002, so I can't say from personal experience.

[buttertart]

Lunch in 2002 was not as good as 1998 (they had recently changed chefs) but still wonderful. Any restaurant in which the watstaff notices you have finished the sauce for your fish before the fish and brings you more is a treasure. Lunch in late May 1998 was one of the top 10 restaurant experiences of my life.

[ChefJune]

I knew they had changed chefs when I returned in 2002, but the service was so impeccable, and M. Vrinat came upstairs to sing Happy Birthday to me, so perhas I didn't pay stricti enough attention... (whatever that is!) I would go back, but there are so many wonderful places to try, and several "must-go's" I always try to hit.

[buttertart]

Am going in early Jan, for a splashy lunch a good friend suggested:
DROUANT (Antoine Westermann
CRILLON
LE QUINZIEME (Cyril Lignac)
What do you think of these? Thanks!

[John Talbott]

Well, they're very very different: Le Crillon is a top drawer Frechon-style big meal, Drouant is a mid-range but good price/quality 3x3 type meal and Cyril is Cyril doing his celebrity-thing. Go for the stars!

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

[amrx]

Frechon is the chef at Le Bristol which I now regard as the best of the palace hotel restaurants. I agree with your assessment of Drouant.

[John Talbott]

"Frechon is the chef at Le Bristol"

Since Christopher Hache was #2 to Eric Frechon at the Bristol as well as Frédéric Robert at Grande Cascade; I infer it's Frechon-style but maybe I'm incorrect. As Soup points out elsewhere (below), there are no reports yet just posts from Fresh_a, cuisinerenligne, Francois Simon and http://twitpic.com/p7axl.

[buttertart]

Trying to block out some time to delve into Paris info, will be researching this weekend. Friend in question is informed on food but not totally devoted to it. (Liked the look of Drouant menu though.). Could I ask here where to go for game, specifically venison and its variations? Thanks v much.

[John Talbott]

Three of us went (back) to Biche Au Bois about a month ago; quite nice.
http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/...