Anyone up for an itinerary review?

[yanks26dmb]

So thanks to a lot of you guys and some searching of my own, I've narrowed down a lot of my lunch/dinner choices. Would absolutely love for you guys who know Paris to let me know if I'm making good choices and/or if you would eliminate anything on my itinerary. As you can see, I still have some slots open, so feel free to add any suggestions...merci beaucoup!

Arrive March 24 from Amsterdam
Lunch:
Dinner: La Cantine du Troquet Dupleix

March 25
Lunch:
Dinner: Le Tintalou

March 26
Lunch
Dinner: Bones

March 27
Lunch: Ledoyan (are there any other **/*** Michelin places that have a nice and <90Euro lunch menu that would be recommend over Ledoyan?
Dinner: Something light

March 28
Lunch: Pierre Sang Boyer
Dinner:

March 29
Lunch:
Dinner:

March 30
Lunch:
Dinner: Chez L'ami Jean

[Sam C]

is Ledoyen 90 euros? i made a reservation in May through my AMEX Concierge and they told me it's 105. I wonder if they mark it up.

[yanks26dmb]

I believe I saw it listed at 88 euro.

What did you think of the food?

I was also considering Bigarrade or L'Astrance in place here...

[BrianGilligan]

The Michelin Guide lists Ledoyen's lunch at 105. It's just had its annual update and is usually accurate for this sort of detail.
I had a lunch there in 2008 (I think) for about 88 euro.

[Sam C]

OK thanks for the update as I was about to ream out my credit card company. But that is still a steep increase i think in the past years it went from 88 euros to 94 and now 105.

I haven't been to Ledoyen yet, i've made a reservation in May and it is one of the meals I am looking foward to. I had also considered L'Astrance and L'Arpege but decided against as we wanted to do something more unique and classic, as we could dine in a modern 3 star restaurant in North America anytime.

[PBSF]

I think LeDoyen is an excellent choice. Le Squer's cooking is quite 'modern' though the dining room is not. I would not label Passard at L'Arpege as "modern" in the sense as those in North America, ie, Alinea, Per Se, etc. His cooking style is unique; austere and on the surface very simple.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Of those three my best food experience was at Ledoyen.

[yanks26dmb]

Thanks for your input. Are there any other Michellin places you could recommend for lunch instead of Ledoyen? <90Euro...

[Delucacheesemonger]

My pick is Le Cinq

[dietndesire]

Ledoyen was 88-92 for lunch about 18 months ago. I am sad that I am too senile to remember exactly. I just dislike the lack of weekend dining. Michelin lists lunch at 98 but perhaps the 105 number is the dead tree edition and more updated though I hope this type of difference is not the case.That nonsense is inexcusable.
3 star level in N America is not 3 star level in France not that I am attempting to dissuade you from your selection. Merely a note.
I have a question, why did Amex quote you a price? Did you ask if there was a lunch menu or did they precharge you(also the only way your thought of a markup makes sense)? Just seems odd to me since making a reservation for lunch is just that.

[yanks26dmb]

Thanks so much for all of the helpful feedback. I'm nearly finished with the final itinerary...

I'm down to one more lunch and one more dinner.

The dinner will be the same day as lunch at yam'Tcha...should I be going lighter? Any opinions on another fabulous dinner not already listed above?

As far as the lunch goes, I'm still trying to decide on a good value **/*** Michelin place. Any other places not listed above that are worth looking into?

[John Talbott]

"The dinner will be the same day as lunch at yam'Tcha..."
It all depends on your age. I take it you can "take it."
So after yam'Tcha, something French down and dirty (in the best sense of the word)? - Terroir Parisien?
"good value **/*** Michelin place" You have a keen sense of humor. Kei or Sola? No they're 1 ( I neglected to pick up my Michelin today at FNAC so I could be wrong). Then
Le Meurice for lunch, Passage 53 or Bigarrade with the new guy.

[yanks26dmb]

Thanks John....I did a similar length trip through New Orleans and handled a Commander's Palace lunch and Galatoire's dinner, plus a poboy (or two) in an eight hour period..so as long as I'm not up against anything richer than that, I'll assume I'll be okay :)

Ill definitely check out Terroir Parisien for dinner.

I was definitely considering Passage53 for a michelin level lunch. Pretty much between that, L'Astrance, Ledoya (although it's admittedly a bit higher than I wanted to go), or Bigarrade...

Thanks for the tips.

[rrems]

FWIW, La Bigarrade was literally the worst meal I've had in over 30 years of traveling in France. So bad it was laughable. By comparison, L'Astrance was among my many happy experiences, and though it's been a number of years since I was there, I doubt it has gone downhill. Another place to consider is the very up-and-coming Kei (awarded a Michelin star in 2012). Lunch there is a bargain.

[yanks26dmb]

Thanks for the tips..I may go ahead and forget about Bigarrade after such a bold statement.

I guess I'm looking for an upscale, fancy pants, two or three star, quintessential Paris experience that I literally cannot get by me (southern california).

Closest I could get would be French Laundry or something of that ilk up in Napa...although I've never had luck with reservations..

[yanks26dmb]

Ended up reserving a lunch at Passage 53 as my "two-star" experience...

Seem like a good choice?

[Maximilien]

I really liked P53 (2 years ago); I went for lunch; had the "long" menu.

There were some really delicious dishes; and the pacing/progression of the menu was good.

[John Talbott]

Boy I guess I'm lucky, no such experience.

[yanks26dmb]

No disrespect to your opinion of course, John!

[John Talbott]

None perceived.

[yanks26dmb]

Itinerary is complete...many thanks to those that have played a part in helping me decide. Here's the final run down - how's it look? Any glaringly poor choices? Anything I should sub in?

Arrive March 24 from Amsterdam
Lunch: Eating at a market
Dinner: La Cantine du Troquet Dupleix

March 25
Lunch: Pirouette
Dinner: Le Tintalou (only one I'm shaky about - may switch to Kei).

March 26
Lunch: Ze Kitchen Galerie
Dinner: Bones

March 27
Lunch: Passage 53
Dinner: Frenchie Bar a Vin

March 28
Lunch: Pierre Sang Boyer
Dinner:Les Pappilles

March 29
Lunch: Yam'Tcha
Dinner: Spring

March 30
Lunch: Breizh Cafe
Dinner: Chez L'ami Jean

[John Talbott]

Wow, would that I were 30 again.
Happy eating.
PS "Le Tintalou (only one I'm shaky about - may switch to Kei)." Very different places; both good, depends on what you want.

[Parnassien]

Despite a bit of an over-representation of fusion (ZKG and Yam'tcha and, if you switch to Kei, even more so), a great list. And I love the juxtaposition of modern and exciting Pierre Sang with old-school and comforting les Papilles on the same say.

Personally I prefer Caius and Zinc Caius (the French-version of Frenchie and Frenchie Bar à Vins) but that's probably just a case of my distaste for the fear-of-missing-out hysteria that seems to drive Frenchie's appeal among North American visitors. I used to like Le Tintalou a lot but now I'm not convinced that its price/quality ratio fits into my notion of "worth it". But my preferences as a value-conscious local probably will not apply to you as a visitor.

[yanks26dmb]

I was having the same concern; too much asian-fusion. I think I'll pass on Kei (I'm assuming ZKG and Yam'Tcha are considered superior fusion versions from what I've been reading...).

Is there anything non-fusion and/or different you could suggest to take the place of Tintalou and/or Spring (I'm not positive on this one either)

Damnit..and I thought my itinerary was set...!

[PhilD]

Saturne for some Nordic influenced food? Innovative and superb when it gets it right, but its on the edge so a few challenging flavour combinations that can divide opinion - which I think is the mark of a good restaurant as I don't like "safe" meals all the time.

[Parnassien]

I think Spring is a keeper. But I do prefer it for lunch. And now that I think about it, I was maybe too harsh on Tintilou. It does have a 35€ prix fixe to maintain its Michelin Bib Gourmand but a very limited choice so I find myself wandering à la carte and then get mad when the final tab is 3 times as much as I expected... but my fault, not Tintilou's ... the cuisine is actually very good... and relatively small portions so it might be a good choice to avoid eater fatigue. So I suggest no changes to your itinerary.

Fine-tuning your choices is in any case pretty unnecessary in Paris. You can easily change every one of your chosen places over and over and still end up with a great meal. And it's useless to ponder which restaurant will deliver the best meal. Every resto has an off-night so there's no way to guarantee "the best". Maybe it will be the restaurant you have chosen. Maybe it's the one you didn't choose.

[yanks26dmb]

Thanks for the Saturne rec Phil - for whatever the reason I wrote this place off after reading a string of bad reviews, but I'll look into it a bit more.

Parnassien - Short of subbing in Saturne, I think I'm going to heed your advice and keep things as is.

Of course, now comes the part where I've got to make decisions on all the other "in between" meals...Patrick Roger, Laduree, Bellotta Bellotta, etc.

Question for ya - here in the states, at least where I am in southern california, our famer's markets often have food cooked on site. Is this true in Paris? Or are markets primarily selling food to be taken home and cooked/eaten?

[John Talbott]

I'm also not as expert on markets but that at the Enfants Rouge does cook stuff.

I too would keep Spring & Tintalou.

[yanks26dmb]

Perfect - will keep both.

Is bellotta bellotta the best place to sample the finest jamon iberico in the city? From what I've been reading it appears this way..

John - are there any non-restaurant food items I may have overlooked you would classify as "can't miss"?

[John Talbott]

I think BB is pretty good.
As for non-resto food items, aside from cheese, foie gras (aka cocktail spead to custom's officials), Kouing-aman from Lahrer, bostok from Le Notre, macaroons from what's the favorite this week, chocolates (ditto) and prunes from Agen I dunno. Maybe herring friom the Maison du Danmarck. Parigi and Pti are much better hunter-gatherers than I.

[yanks26dmb]

Will definitely be getting my herring fill during my 2 day stop in Amsterdam before I head to Paris - but appreciate the suggestions...I'll see what those other guys have to say.

[John Talbott]

I wasn't sure if you were asking about food to eat on the street, take back home or eat at where you are staying.

[yanks26dmb]

Definitely food to eat on the street/at a park...wont be doing much cooking this trip.

[PhilD]

BB was always my go to place as they usually have 3 or 4 hams on the go. Easy for a quick snack but very expensive. Da Rosa is another option but never really hooked me.

[yanks26dmb]

I LOVE cured deli meats - especially hams. I'm trying to get the absolute best Iberico Jamon I can... is BB my best option?

[PhilD]

they do stock the best.

[yanks26dmb]

Thanks for the rec on Caius - I actually looked into this a bit more and have decided to replace Spring with Caius for Friday night dinner. Not that I think Spring is suddenly a bad choice, I've just been very intrigued by the plethora of positive comments surrounding Caius. Look forward to reporting back.

[John Talbott]

If you've never been to either, I think you're making a mistake. Caius and its Zinc are interesting but not Spring. Is there no way to do both?

[yanks26dmb]

Check out the itinerary...I'm not sure if I have room for both. I've got lunch and dinner set for every day. I still have reservations for both, so I can cancel one if I need to. Is there anything else on my list that is a weak point or only so-so?

Arrive March 24 from Amsterdam
Lunch: Eating at a market
Dinner: La Cantine du Troquet Dupleix

March 25
Lunch: Pirouette
Dinner: Le Tintalou (only one I'm shaky about - may switch to Kei).

March 26
Lunch: Ze Kitchen Galerie
Dinner: Bones

March 27
Lunch: Passage 53
Dinner: Frenchie Bar a Vin

March 28
Lunch: Pierre Sang Boyer
Dinner:Les Pappilles

March 29
Lunch: Yam'Tcha
Dinner: Spring/Caius

March 30
Lunch: Breizh Cafe
Dinner: Chez L'ami Jean

[John Talbott]

Easy, drop Breizh cafe and replace with Caius or Spring.

[yanks26dmb]

I thought of that, but I'd love to have some really good crepes while I'm in paris...is there anywhere else I could go for this? Preferably grab-n-go type place?

[John Talbott]

No no the Breizh Cafe, albeit run by Japanese folk, is "the" place to go for crepes but I was trying to find a home for both Caius and Spring.
Can't you do crepes at home?, once you get the wrist supple and waste 10, they roll out.

[Parnassien]

For excellent crêpes, it's Breizh Café in the Marais or Pot o'Lait in the 5th. Just depends whether you want to explore the Marais or "La Mouffe"/ Latin Quarter before or after your crêpes.

For good street-stall crêpes, there's a tiny crêperie on the boulevard Montparnasse a few doors down from la Coupole (in the direction of the descending numbers) and at the entrance to the cinema and Galerie des Parnassiens. For before or after, Montparnasse with its landmark cafés Le Select and La Rotonde is great hangout territory. Or stroll through the very picturesque Cimetière de Montparnasse to commune with the spirits of Sartre and de Beauvoir. If it's Wed or Sat morning, there's also a lovely street market on the boulevard Edgar Quinet.

[pammi]

I had a very tasty crepe this weekend at Pot o'Lait and topped it off with a visit to Carl Marletti,patisseur on the rue Censier -a great combo!

[ChefJune]

Are you going to do anything besides eat while you're in Paris? ;)

[John Talbott]

Ah, I'm not Yanks but is there anything better to do? The art here now is all the Post Impressionist stuff that you saw 5, 10, 20, 30 years ago at the Grand Palais, Met, Moma, you name it. The parks, while green, aren't quite up to flowering and the theatre-Opera-Ballet scene not really exciting except for the Walkure.
So Yanks should eat and enjoy!

[yanks26dmb]

Ha...

I have a girlfriend who's slightly less food obsessed than I am who will (try to)maintain some semblance of balance between eating and...not eating.

[PhilD]

Aren't the museums and galleries simply place to walk off a good meal when it's raining? That's why the Louvre is so big with such long corridors.

[ChefJune]

<Aren't the museums and galleries simply place to walk off a good meal when it's raining? That's why the Louvre is so big with such long corridors.>

ROTFLMAO! ;D

[Parigi]

Looks very good. With one fasting day. :)

[yanks26dmb]

After doing more reading, I'm considering adding Abri and Pirouette as well.

My concern: Am I picking to many "new" places and not getting a well-rounded taste of Paris?

[John Talbott]

Abri & Pirouette are good and I would choose Bigarrade over L'Astrance (but I suspect I'd be in the minority).
As for new versus old, it depends on your style; me, I eat at new places when alone but at old places when my wonderful wife is in town.

[yanks26dmb]

Thanks John. If you could recommend two of those "old" places, one for lunch one for dinner, where would you tell me to go?

All food okay, under 75 euro pp.

[John Talbott]

Well, we prefer Repaire de Cartouche and Ze Kitchen Galerie.