Help! Will be in Paris for Romantic Anniversary Dinner on Thursday March 27th

[TenYearOlds]

Okay, I need some help...soon! Will be in Paris for only two days and one night; our anniversary!!
Any suggestions for a midrange romantic and small place to dine? I've been looking for a long time, and think think that the more I look, the confused I get. Any other suggestions to make this a very special night in Paris????? We love seafood if that'll help
Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!

[taboo]

I have been fortunate to have had some amazing dinners in Paris, but yet over the top expensive. A great place though was Guy Savoy and every aspect of that meal was seamless and not terrible in price unless you pick a very expensive wine.

[ChefJune]

My favorite seafood restaurant is La Cagouille, and it is not far from the 5me (14me). The food is excellent, the welcome is warm, the ambiance is modern. If romantic to you means "cozy," that's not their vibe, but I'm sure you would have a wonderful dinner there.

[Oakglen]

La Cagouille would be my choice as well if food were the only criteria, but ambiance is nil. For a special dinner maybe Gaya, at double the price, could work.

[gmroberts]

We had an anniversary dinner recently at Chalet des Iles located on a small lake in the Bois de Boulogne. It's just a few minutes by taxi outside of Paris. There is very short ferry ride to the restaurant which is a lot of fun.

The food was good and the atmosphere was very warm. In the warm weather months you can eat outside.

http://www.chalet-des-iles.com/

[Parigi]

That is truly the most romantic restaurant in Paris. The food is ok, not bad but not what one goes there for.

[mangeur]

Oh, yes. Chalet des Iles would be memorable even if the food was forgettable. The whole concept, water, island, boat-ride..

[Oakglen]

Goumard, on rue Duphot, in the 1st, should be ideal. Reserve now!

[TenYearOlds]

Hello Oakglen,

Thanks for Goumard. We had read some reviews that weren't very positive about it, but they were a little ago. How is it now? Any other ideas close to the 5th? Thanks!!!!..

[Laidback]

My experiences at Goumard have been good; lovely interior with unusual restrooms, proper service and good to very good seafood. I think it would fit many people's criteria for romantic.

[Parigi]

Help us help you.
Could you give us at least a short list of what you have looked up and considered and vetoed, and what you perceive as wrong with them?
Congratulations on your anniversary.

[TenYearOlds]

Hi Parigi,

Thanks for replying! Sorry I didn't get back sooner, I'm a teacher had a long, long day!
We looked at Goumard, La Cremerie, La Bistro Lorette We want a small romantic restaurant where we can stay for several hours. Seafood, good location, good views would be great. We 're staying in the 5th. I know that these choices all all over the board, but pretty, cozy, and seafood go a long way to what my sweet wife and I desire. Much Thanks!!!!!

[Roland Parker]

People on this forum are not ten year old fourth graders so you can probably lower the tone of your voice somewhat and use fewer exclamation marks.

When people ask me to recommend a good quality intimate restaurant in Paris I always hesitate somewhat because what's good food to some people is not good food to others, what's a brilliant meal to someone is a fussy meal to someone else, what's an intimate restaurant is a loud and cramped restaurant from another perspective. What's reasonable by one standard is very expensive by another. What's wonderful cooking to one person is "yes, it was a very nice meal but I can make this at home for a fraction of the price" to an experienced cook.

Still, I usually suggest Les Regalades as my default recommendation as it ticks a lot of boxes. Lovely setting in a neighborhood outside the tourist quarters but within easy reach, not noticeably expensive (30-50euros per head) and excellently prepared food. We've had wonderful meals there and the table is yours for the night if you want. There's also Les Regalades St. Honore at the St. Honore location.

Other popular choices include Chez L'Ami Jean, Les Papilles and Josephine Chez Dumonet.

I confess I haven't heard of Goumard, La Cremerie and La Bistro Lorette and I've never seen them discussed on this forum.

[Parigi]

Everybody has a dfiferent concept of what's romantic. Once I told a poster who wanted romantic in Provence, that a restaurant he was interested in had great food but was not romantic. Turned out the poster loved it. His idea turned out to be that good food is always romantic. Fine. Why didn't he say so in the first place? :-)

So now I assume that if a place has good food and is not gloomy and so crowded that when you recross your legs, people at the next table have to also, then it's romantic.

Bistro Lorette is romantic. It is open for dinner only. It is quite far from the 5th.
Dans Les Landes has great sexy food and is in the 5th, but I don't know how romantic it gets when a Real Madrid-Barça game is on the flat-screen tv and diners (like yours truly) are screaming at every Messi goal.
Le Galopin is cozy and has very nice food and is on a lovely street. If the weather is nice, nothing more romantic than lunching outside on the terrasse.
Le Vivant (if you like the Cremerie) is very romatic and cozy. Has wonderful food, great wines. At night the 'hood is less romantic than the resto though.
Café des Musées may be more romantic at lunch. At dinner it is very busy and you may hear your own language around you too much, which many do not find romantic.

And don't forget to have a lock ready, and carve your names on it then put it on one of the several "love lock" bridges of Paris.
I recommend the Pont de l'Archevêché in the 5th, with a view to Notre Dame (but that side of the bridge is full full full of locks, even a few bike chain locks).
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wor...