a few scattered questions re paris restaurants

[redgirl]

le fontaine du mars: how's the duck confit? it's a specific request from one of our group of 4 and we would go there as part of an evening where we then walk over to le tour eiffel.

le bistro des oies: near the canal st. martin. i never see this mentioned here. has anyone been and is it worth going?

les papilles: i know it's a set menu...what happens if you don't like/ever eat something. is there *any* choice? is it very very offal based?

le ziryab: thinking of going for a lunch and for the view. is the lunch acceptable? i know the view is!

lastly, i remember hearing about a restaurant near les halles area that has 'new' owners but is still a great steak frites joint. anyone know which one i'm remembering? (or not remembering as the case may be?)

[Parnassien]

BISTRO DES OIES... yes, not bad and very popular... and on the same street, there's another restaurant (CHEZ MARIE ET LOUISE) that i used to like a lot but haven't been in 6 mos or so and can't vouch for current quality ...just around the corner on the avenue richerand, PHILOU is extra nice, cheap-ish and one of the hot restos of the moment (lots of rave reviews) so probably impossible to get a table on fri night and saturday when the whole Canal Saint Martin area is very popular

LE ZYRIAB ... yes, the views are sensational but the lebanese food is mediocre (at best) and overpriced ... if you want a rooftop resto with great food, try LES OMBRES on the top of the musée quai branly ... instead of notre dame (at le zyriab) you get the eiffel tower

steak + les halles makes me think of LE LOUCHEBEM on the rue berger ... but i don't know if it has changed hands recently ... maybe you're thinking of LA POTÉE DES HALLES on the rue etienne marcel?

[PhilD]

Has Les Ombres improved it used to be dire trading solely on the view and definitely not the food or service, but as I went a few years ago and vowed never to return I wonder if it has really changed?

[Dodo]

Les Ombres is still as bad. Its 65€ menu for dinner is not only overpriced, but simply everything but special. Had to go there not long ago. Will refuse in the future.

The view is the only thing worth going there.

If it's for the view, I'd go to Georges and have a club sandwich which isn't all that bad. The omelettes are pretty much acceptable as well.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Been a while, but one of worst meals of my life.

[Parnassien]

phil... on the evidence of a very good lunch last week, yes ... at least the food... and the price/ quality ratio for the "formule" makes it taste even better ... service was a bit haphazard but not disturbingly so

[Parnassien]

is there a different chef for lunch and dinner? it seems my under-40 € lunch was better than other's 65 € dinner

[Dodo]

No idea. All I can say is

1) my apertif, a ti-punch was served with no ice and I had to wait quite some time to get some,

2) that our red wine was by ways too warm. We refused the bottle,

3) on the other hand, my starter, a slow-cooked tomato with some chèvre came out of the fridge and tasted like nothing.

[Parigi]

"les papilles: i know it's a set menu...what happens if you don't like/ever eat something. is there *any* choice? is it very very offal based? "

No. No.

[Oakglen]

I would rate the Confit de Canard at le Fontaine as a solid B, too fatty for my taste, but not reheated etc.