Sunday dinner in Paris--thoughts on Les Ombres, Druant, Benoit?

[carolynkovar]

This is my first question, be kind! Yes, I will create my profile shortly.

My husband and I will have one night in Paris at the end of a five-week trip (to Lyon, Dijon, Nancy, Reims, Amiens, Bruges/Brugge, Brussels, and Amsterdam). We'd like to make our last night memorable, but unfortunately it's a Sunday (possibly just as well, as major splurges will be closed and so can't tempt me). The restaurants I've listed all had great reviews from Tom Seitsema, the Washington Post restaurant critic--he hasn't steered us wrong yet, so I thought I'd begin with his picks. I've researched them on line and they all have a mix of reviews, some glowing, some disappointed. Michelin likes them all. Chowhounds have praised Benoit, and John Talbott has recommended Druant as one restaurant open on Sunday, without giving his reaction to it (that I found). But I'm kind of drawn to Les Ombres because of its spectacular location and its interesting fusion menu. I haven't found any mention of it on this board, so I'm worried it's all sizzle and no steak. What do people think?

Or do you have better recommendations? As you can see, we're willing to spend some money--I'm thinking between $400 and $500, if it's worth it. Any help would be much appreciated.

Carolyn

[PhilD]

Our visit to Les Ombres was two years ago. Good space, fantastic view, but very average "tourist" food and pretty poor service. Unless others have been more recently and can vouch for an improvement I would strike it from the list: lots of sizzle, absolutely no protein.

[plafield]

Everyone I trust that really knows food says the food at Les Hombres is terribly mediocre. And so is the service. The view, of course is amazing, but for one meal in Paris, I'd pick good food over view any day (although I imagine you'll be doing plenty of fantastic eating in Lyon!) If you're willing to spend big bucks for something very special, why not Jules Verne? Although that could be more than $500 once you factor in beverages. Same for Le Cinq which is wonderful food and gorgoeus ambiance.

Of the 3 you have listed, I'd go with Benoit.

[carolynkovar]

Thanks, PhilD and Plafield, for confirming my suspicions about Les Ombres. Jules Verne is a great suggestion--though we would have to restrain ourselves, not something I do easily. I guess there's more open on Sunday than I thought! Does anybody else have a suggestion for a special dinner that won't completely empty our already overstressed wallets? Benoit did sound good, maybe a tad too traditional.

[souphie]

Many open on sundays are a tad traditional -- L'Auberge Bressanne, la Rotisserie du Beaujolais jump to mind. ZKG is definitely less traditional (and generous), and open sundays. Fish is nice, affordable, just reasonably modern, and open sundays.

But the best deal for special dining on sunday night is obviously La Grande Cascade -- fits your budget, spectacular setting, very high profile food.

Incidentally, le Cinq is open on sundays too, and with the 140€ menu, you could stay in budget even for dinner.

Those last two are clearly as good as Jules Vernes, even though they're not on the Eiffel Tower. And they're significantly better value.

[John Talbott]

Les Ombres is a spectacular setting, awful food.
Benoit is overpriced and in my opinion has always been
Drouant is quite good; here's the review:
8.5 - Drouant, 16-18, place Gaillon in the 2nd, 01.42.65.15.16, open everyday, plat de jour = 20 E, menu of the day = 45 E, menu-carte 67 E. Wow/Great/Wonderful, throw in any superlative you want. What a great re-launch of the venerable old gal. I take my hat off to Antoine Westerman and Antony Clemot (ex-Viel Ami) who moved over here after successfully launching that off-shoot of his famed Buerehiesel in Strasbourg. I haven’t set foot in the place in 35 years, but my, it’s held its charm. Make no mistake – it’s pricey – one can easily drop 100 E for one, but there are several ways around this: (1) they have daily specials that are a gentle 20 E and are listed on the carte outside (today a matelote of sandre, with a huge chunk of perfectly cooked fish in a sauce that tasted like that that surrounds quenelles and had mushrooms and scallions and pasta and just a tad of lemon, butter and cream – oh my! sopped that all up,) that my waiter strongly urged me to take, (2) one can order only one entrée (25 E; everyone was having six oysters which seemed silly, since Gerard Depardieu’s oyster bar sits but a few meters across the street and serves them for half that) or one main (30 E) which a food critic pal told me would be sufficient to feed me for the day (the meat dishes did look big, although they only gave folks four scallops – in case you haven’t heard, everything comes in fours – four entrees, four veggies, etc.), (3) they have a 45 E menu of the day, which has an entrée (in my case a lovely stew of artichokes, exquisite egg and baie berries, choice between the special and another dish of the day (today, duck with smashed potatoes) and dessert (today an incredible deconstructed tiramisu) as well as super mignardises of confited oranges and an intense, dense bar of chocolate and (4) they have a bar menu which despite all the frou-frou cocktails the French now consider amusing, had a more interesting selection than Senderens’s bar menu, e.g., marinated scallops, a platter of charcuterie, a terrine of duck liver and smoked salmon, each only 10 E. The wines start low (17 E) and go to the heights. In any case, I had great, friendly service (the waiters wear blindingly white open shirts with black scarves), good bread and a fine time. With a glass or two of wine one can escape for 55-65 Euros, which I challenge anyone to find the equal of in this fine town. The downside: not really for a geezer like me, but I swear that every Royalist left in France was eating there that day and everybody but two men had suits and ties (the good part of that, of course, is they speak kindly of the United States in the slow, articulate French of Cardinal Lustiger, President Chirac and Queen Elizabeth, so you can over-hear everything). It was chock-a-block full – go quickly!

John Talbott

[PhilD]

Re: Benoit. We once ate back to back at Le Violin d'Ingres and Benoit and found them comparable in price, so I don't think it is really that overpriced. They also had the same (unique) entree on the menu "lange de veau lucullus" so in the interests of research I tried it back to back, it was far better at Benoit.

It was our regular Sunday lunch stop on the way home from the Bastille markets, the waiters would graciously take our bags stuffed full of vegetables and deposit them in the cloakroom. I am quite rare on the board because I do enjoy a Ducasse restaurant every now and then, I know what I am getting and I am never let down, I love the challenge of new and exciting places but like to balance with trusty and dependable.

[John Talbott]

I'm not anti-Ducasse, I love Rech. Of course that's more Maximin than Alain now.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Les Ombres remains my worst meal in 20 years in Paris. Lovely setting and my guest was a woman who was doing a photo shoot on the restaurant the next day. Service was terrible but excellent compared to the food.
Liked Benoit but the guts of the old Benoit , IMHO, has been eviscerated by Ducasse and now fussy but without the stuff to carry it through

[carolynkovar]

Thank you, everybody, for steering me away from Les Ombres, which would obviously have been a dreadful (and expensive) mistake.

John Talbott, the review of the Drouant makes it sound terrific, and really a great choice. Souphie, La Grande Cascade looks terrific, too--at least if we steer away from the most expensive menu, which would put us close to Jules Verne (probably better value, though, you think?) Do you have any idea how long it would take to get there from the St-Sulpice area, where we'll be staying? (We'd need a taxi).

I looked up ZKG--very intriguing, but it doesn't appear to be open on Sundays (I assume it's Ze Kitchen Gallerie---did I get that right?) I took a look at Le Cinq, which doesn't have prices on its website, but Michelin says the least expensive menu is €160 (not €145). I'm not sure how much to figure for wine for Le Cing, but it could be in the running. Decisions, decisions!

Carolyn

[souphie]

My bad about ZKG. For le Cinq: the least expensive menu is 78€ for lunch. Then for dinner, if MIchelin says 160€, 160€ it most probably is. As for wine, you have to be careful -- you can keep it reasonable but you have to decline all the "offers" for a glass of this of that, unless they say "can we offer you", "it's from the chef", etc, because each glass will cost you. Howevere, there is a part of the wine list dedicated to "affordable" wines, meaning bottles under 50€. Le Cinq is one of those places where you can discreetly tell your captain what your budget is and they won't hold it against you. I also think that they have a wine pairing option with their dinner menu, making the whole meal prixfixe, but I can't remember how much it is exactly.

As I wrote elsewhere, going from the métro to La Grande Cascade is at worse a 7€ taxi ride, at best a lovely walk in the woods -- depending on the weather and your walking dispositions.

[John Talbott]

"I looked up ZKG--very intriguing, but it doesn't appear to be open on Sundays (I assume it's Ze Kitchen Gallerie---did I get that right?)
No, Ze Kitchen Galerie
4, rue des Grands Augustins, 6th (Metro: Saint Michel)
T: 01 44 32 00 32
Closed Sundays.
A la carte 30 €.
is down/up the street from his #2:
Kitchen Galerie Bis (KGB)
25, rue des Grands Augustins in the 6th
T: 01 46 33 00 85.
Open Tuesday-Saturday
Menus: €27 and €34

[carolynkovar]

Thanks so much to everybody for all the wonderful ideas--we have enough now for many future trips. Souphie, you've reassured me about Le Cinq, so I decided to go for broke (I hope not literally) and make a reservation there. We're looking forward to a truly memorable evening!

Carolyn

[adrian]

Drop Les Ombres - mediocre food, touristy, rude service .....nice view though