Went to to Pierre Gagnaire - the 3 star one- two days ago.
Would like to hear your opinions before I give mine.
i have been twice. my first visit over a decade ago i took a small lunch tasting and it was challenging to say the least. several years later i returned and went al a carte and had a much better experience. the wine list was really splendid from what i remember despite the food being a bit too maximalist flavor wise. no idea what it is like these days.
thanks ! Looks like a good option and reached out to them.
I’ve been twice, though it’s been several years. An enormous amount of food and not necessarily my style. A bit of a roller coaster experience. I’d like to return during game season for their lievre a la royale preparation… unfortunately, it’s for two, and my wife is a vegetarian.
Anyone know when Les Climats reopens and where?
@F.Daner - Not sure this fits the bill, as it is in the 11th, which is 25 - 30 minutes from La Défense, but on Rue de Crussol in the 11th is a small place called Cellar that we love. It is a modern take on French Bistro and the menu is a bit limited, but oh so good.
Another consideration is it is on 2 levels with 14 seats upstairs and 14 seats downstairs, so if you want everyone on the same cellar, this will not work.
Good luck!
1 Like
For no real reason we only made it to Paris twice last year. I have decided to rectify that this year and on my first clear weekend of the year we decided to throw caution to the wind and go to Paris for 26 hours or so! We wanted to try a few new spots and one in particularly that a dear friend had opened.
We started the day off with a special Dim Sum Breakfast at The Hood. It was all around excellent with the Kaya Croissant being a particularly wonderful standout, oh and the Kara toast and eggs! We can’t wait to go back.
We followed breakfast with stops at the Delicatessen wine store and Dreaming Man Coffee.
It is our normal tradition to hit Les Enfants du Marche for our first lunch. They gave us an entire table for as long as we wanted. We had various friends stop by over a long liesurely lunch. Mika was not in town but had someone we dubbed the wine fairy bring over a bottle of Sparkling riesling on him from his new wine cave which was a perfect reset. The Tempura sardines was as great as always and of course on a cold day the onion soup was exactly what we needed. Mika sent word ahead that I should try an Alsatian Pinot Noir from Haroon Rahimi. I did not know anything about the backstory. Needless to say I was blown away, I will write a note about this wine in the main natural wine thread. This wine has taken me back to square one!
After lunch we headed over to Jacques Jenin chocolate shop. I have known about this spot for a long time. Why have I never gone before! Absolutely incredible.
Post lunch we walked around Paris, it was cold, but sunny and everyone was happy. Our friend Skinny Pablo did an impromptu concert in the park and we enjoyed a bottle of Sauvignon from Raphaëlle Guyot, wines I am currently obsessed with, that was perfect for a sunny but brisk day in the Park.
We then headed to Chef Oliver’s Restaurant Sur Mar new larger restaurant. We have always loved her cooking and her tiny restaurant. The new spot is still very intimate and you can see her cooking in the kitchen even though it is probably triple in size. The old spot is still open and more casual. We were on our way to dinner so we only had two dishes and a wonderful bottle of 09 Valette Clos de Monsieur Noly. Same food that she was cooking for with a heavy emphasis on Sea food.
On to the main event! Our dear friend Maniu’s new Mexican restaurant - Tarantula. We have gotten to know Maniu well over the years as he is a restaurant and music world insider. He had a small taco shop that we never made it to but he has been telling us about his dream restaurant for many years. It finally happened and it is all around fantastic. He is utilizing Mexican concepts and flavors combined with French techniques and it really, really works. I posted a review with photos on World of Mouth. It is a really lively but non pretenious scene. We are so happy for him.
The plan was to hit the bar area at La Tour d’Argent before our flight which we have done before. I reached out to them to confirm they were open. When we got there they told us that you can’t order from the main list on Sunday’s! Ugh! Oh well we had a lovely, lovely botte of 2014 Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin…we joked that life is pretty great when a tragedy is drinking a beautiful bottle of Burgundy with a great baguette and butter!
Not bad for just a little over 24 hours - LIVE LIFE LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
Next up dinner in NYC!
p.s. for those that were fans of CAM, chef has just opened a new restaurant called JIP Paris that we just found out about.
9 Likes
Chapeau!
You must have incredible constitution. I am in awe.
2 Likes
Very impressive and looks like a remarkably fun weekend. Ever been to La Table d’Akihiro, and if so, how is it?
I’ve only been once while on my honeymoon in April of 1999. At the time, it was probably the best meal I’d ever eaten. My wife and I were way out of our comfort zone and the staff did their very best to make sure that we had a wonderful experience.
I had this dish at Helene Darroze many years ago. I’m going to say this was December of 2003. I love rabbit and translated lievre correctly as hare which is rabbit. To be polite, I’ll never order it again. There was a point when I used to think that the gamier the dish was, the better it was. After this meal, I reconsidered that thought.
1 Like
I have not been.
Hares aren’t really the same as rabbits at all. Even wild rabbit.
But you know that. 
1 Like
Close enough…but either way, I’m not ordering or eating that dish again.
We’ve been twice as guests of the Balzac. The first time, our experience mirrored yours. The second, we ordered a la carte and enjoyed the food more. Service was impeccable both visits. To be honest, there are other restaurants that I’d rather pay the tariff to visit if I’m paying.
I find Lievre Royale to be too heavy for the way I prefer to eat currently, especially as part of a multi-course tasting menu. I liked it more 40 pounds ago.
1 Like
Indeed! AJ Liebling would be proud, even if your palate is more modern than his…
1 Like
Anyone have a recent report/experience at Benoit ?
If you go, insist on being seated downstairs. The last time we went, we had a confirmed reservation downstairs which they ignored. I won’t return.
thank you, what’s the issue with upstairs ?
Annex to the main service area. Quiet, boring, and only tourists agree to sit there.
1 Like