michelin dining for 1

[slipstream00]

A michelin-level dining novice here: I am looking to dine (or lunch) at a 2/3 star michelin place towards the end of july. I've been reading so many of the helpful posts on chow in trying to prepare my list (based on earlier posts, I am looking at 2 lunches and 1 dinner for maximizing my budget).
I wanted to know of any good recommendations for solo dining (or lunching). Also, what is the kind of attire expected in these places?
Thanks !!

[souphie]

Many would expect you to wear a jacket, if you're a man. Most of those will provide it if needed. L'Arpège has no dress code.

As for solo dining, I think the recommendations are the same as for non solo dining. The great lunch deals include l'Arpège's 135€, Gagnaire's maybe a tad less, Ledoyen's 88€, Le Cinq 's 78€, Guy Savoy's 100€. Those and l'Ambroisie are the ones I would recommend for first-timers, without guarantee that it will be mind blowing, but with good chances.

L'Arpège has minimalistic cooking (but lots of it) that is very vegetable centered (great fish and meat though), and is spectacularly expensive. Still, this is a place where food can be truly exceptional.

Gagnaire is a crazy genius that will serve you dozen of small things with unexpected combinations. Sometimes it's really good. It's always fascinating and there's not a chance you'll remember (or even know) everything you ate. Crazy expensive except for wines.

Ledoyen has some of the best ingredients and cooking in town, a great wine list too, and a scenic location and setting in the middle of the parc des champs-elysées. It uses very modern, molecular techniques at the service of a fundamentally traditional dining experience -- some well portioned plates focused on maximising tastes. The downside is, it's not a funny place. Great cheeses.

Guy Savoy doesn't have the greatest food but has an incredible sense of party, which a meal there always is. They take special care of you, keep the goodies and suprises coming. Very civilized and one of the safest bets for first timers.

Le Cinq is my favourite palace restaurant. It has the most amazing waiting staff (and wine list, and setting) making it, like Savoy, one of the safest bets. The food is often exceptional, because the chef is, but not always. On sloppy days, it feels like it was recently described: luxury comfort foods. Recipes seem needlessly complicated and poorly thought through. But on good days, the food is dazzling and the way the chef makes 12 ingredients sing together is unique. Come to think of it, there's some Gagnaire in Briffard...

L'Ambroisie is a temple of exceptional food. It's solemn, gorgeous in its austere ways. Dishes are ridiculously plain -- one protein, one sauce, one side, in plates that are not particularly big neither very numerous. The euros needed, however, are numerous, all the more since the place splendidly ignores the concept of prix fixe. You go to l'Ambroisie because you expect the wonders of exceptional ingredients treated like they should be. For instance, strawberries with vanilla icecream (7 years ago): one of the best things I ever ate. Made me purr (and also score with a very beautiful woman, but I digress). The dirty little secrets is that, as Pacaud's son is slowly taking over the kitchen, the place has been going slightly downhill. But the regulars can't notice given that they're taken special care of. And there still are food orgasms to be had there, like nowhere else. On the whole, the place is best enjoyed if you can go every week and leave 400€pp every time.

[slipstream00]

thanks for the detailed and useful reply as always souphie ! this and your other posts on the subject have been extremely illuminating !

[Tweety2004]

"On the whole, the place is best enjoyed if you can go every week and leave 400€pp every time."

thanks souphie, this is really a good & useful summary, wonder how i could have missed this thread before. my question is, is it still worth to go to l'ambroisie as a tourist (only one off and they don't know me) if i'm looking for something truely exceptional?? i'm willing to fork out €400 for a "mind-blowing" meal, but that is still a lot of money for me, and i really worry with your comments about "as Pacaud's son is slowly taking over the kitchen, the place has been going slightly downhill. " please advise, thanks!

[amrx]

The food at L'Ambroisie is excellent. Wine list considerably less so. Elegant dining rooms but seating for me is not comfortable. If you're not known to them they're polite but formal. Your term "mind-blowing" applied to a meal makes no sense to me. The best I could say of a meal is that it's "une petite merveille". I have to go back to the last century to say that about a meal in Paris and then I can think of only two, one at Lasserre when it had 3 Michelin stars and one at L'Arpege when it had two Michelin stars. I would not say that about any meal of mine at L'Ambroisie.

[souphie]

As Oakglen says, the sure thing about the place is that it is a culinary temple. As with most places of worship, extasis is not guaranteed, but it does happen. Take your chances (they'll take your money, also like many places of worship).

[Oakglen]

The choice is as souphie says; do you want to smile and have a good time, or worship at a temple of culinary godliness. I see more singles dining at the Luxe hotel sites, but all will welcome you.