Despite the facts that it resembles a small, mirrored railroad car and that diners sit at high stools before a communal table, this has become the toughest reservation on the Left Bank because of the superb cooking of young chef David Toutain. Working in a tiny open kitchen, he composes a new tasting menu almost daily, and the dishes reflect his culinary creativity and flawless technical skills. Expect a suite of beautiful edible miniatures such as a slow-cooked egg with new garlic cream and lemon-verbena foam; dressed crab with candied grapefruit and a rich consommé of North Sea shrimp; griddled razor shell clams, squid and zucchini in lavender foam with yuzu cream and dill flowers; and veal in black-olive tapenade with grilled shallots. Service is flawless, and it’s a good idea to order the well-chosen wine pairings.
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Paris
Overview
From Andrew Harper
Andrew Harper's Paris: A Personal Guide to the Best of the City, a free app for the iPad and iPhone.
The north side of Paris (or Right Bank, when facing downstream on the Seine River) has a well-earned reputation of grandeur and Old World sophistication. Thanks to efforts by the city government, the Right Bank's grandest street, the Champs-Elysées, has lately been recovering some of its lost luster as major international luxury houses return to the avenue, notably the new flagship store of Louis Vuitton. The fashionable rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is home to auction houses and to art galleries that in recent years have migrated north across the river from the traditionally more bohemian and artsy Rive Gauche.
South of the Seine, the Left Bank traditionally figured as the bohemian counterpart to the more sophisticated Rive Droite. Sartre and de Beauvoir once conversed in the cafés of the Boulevard Saint-Germain, which today houses fashion denizens such as Dior and Armani. The Latin Quarter is still the locus of Parisian university life (the Sorbonne is here), and its narrow streets are replete with bookshops, cinemas and cheap Mediterranean food. (Haute cuisine is close at hand, too, as at star chef Joël Robuchon's Atelier, which offers contemporary small plates at a counter-service venue).
Hotels
All recommended hotels in Paris
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Four Seasons Hotel George V ParisThis grand luxury 244-room hotel in a landmark 1928 building near the Champs-Elysées is lavishly decorated with crystal chandeliers, 17th-century tapestries, Louis XVI-style furniture, wonderful antiques, paintings and objets d’art. |
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Hôtel d'AubussonThis handsome 49-room hotel occupies an impressively converted 17th-century townhouse in vibrant Saint-Germain-des- Prés (yet is only a short walk from the Louvre and other Right Bank landmarks across the Pont des Arts footbridge). |
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Hôtel de CrillonResplendent and patrician 147-room Louis XV palace-hotel in the heart of the city overlooking the Place de la Concorde. |
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Hôtel de l'AbbayeThis inviting 44-room hotel is tucked away in a converted 18th-century convent on a side street near the Luxembourg Garden. |
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Hôtel LancasterLuxurious 57-room boutique hotel in a townhouse-mansion, just off the Champs-Elyses and near Arc de Triomphe Monument. |
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Hôtel Plaza Athénée ParisFashionable and flamboyant 191-room period hotel set on the boutique-lined Avenue Montaigne. Large rooms provide spacious closets and marble baths with separate black-tiled showers, double vanities and embroidered robes and towels. |
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Hôtel Relais Saint-GermainEngaging 22-room hotel situated on the lively Carrefour de l’Odéon, stylishly transformed from a 17th-century townhouse and recently renovated by acclaimed chef Yves Camdeborde and his wife, Claudine. |
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Hôtel San RégisSophisticated and cozy, this 44-room (11 suites) hotel tucked off the Avenue Montaigne (renowned for its haute couture shops) retains the intimacy and comforts of the private 19th-century townhouse it once was. |
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L'HotelAlthough it is often characterized as a “hip hotel”, this 20-room property is worthy of serious consideration. First, the 1830 stone mansion enjoys a memorable location on the lovely Rue des Beaux-Arts, a particularly graceful street, predictably lined with galleries. |
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Le Bristol ParisElegant, impeccably serviced hotel in a mid- 18th-century building near the shops of the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, with 188 recently refurbished accommodations, including 92 suites. |
Dining
All recommended restaurants in Paris
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Agape Substance
Alain Ducasse
Featuring a glamorous dove-gray décor and a ceiling glittering with 10,000 suspended pieces of cut crystal (the work of young French interior designer Patrick Jouin), the Paris restaurant of globe-trotting chef Alain Ducasse offers a grand slam experience of contemporary French haute cuisine, with some of the best service in the world and a remarkable wine list. Ducasse himself is not in the kitchen, but his lieutenant Christophe Saintagne creates delicious dishes such as langoustines napped with crème fraiche and caviar, turbot with shellfish and Swiss chard, and one of my favorite desserts in the world, caillé de brebis, caramel, poivre, or fresh ewe’s milk cheese with caramel and pepper. A real pomp-and-circumstance address with an international clientele, it’s also ideal for a special-occasion meal or a long, leisurely lunch.
Chez Georges
Old-fashioned bistros are rare in Paris these days, especially ones that are conveniently located right in the heart of the city. The excellent traditional cooking at this relaxed and quietly chic spot just off the Place des Victoires makes it one of our favorites, especially for dishes such as chicken liver terrine and grilled turbot with Béarnaise sauce.
Chez l'Ami Jean
This is a lively spot with tightly spaced tables, but as soon as your first course arrives, you’ll understand why it’s worth putting up with the raucous atmosphere of this popular Left Bank bistro. Chef Stéphane Jego’s food is delicious, and includes dishes such as baby scallops in their shells with tiny croutons and flat parsley, or fricassee of guinea hen cooked with thyme, rosemary and girolles mushrooms.
Jadis
Like many of the best new Parisian chefs, Guillaume Delage has set up shop in a remote residential neighborhood. It is worth traveling to his simple but attractive corner bistro, however, for outstanding contemporary French food. Expect dishes such as an oyster velouté (soup); roasted shoulder of lamb with white beans, black olives and sun-dried tomatoes; and bittersweet chocolate soufflé.
Josephine Chez Dumonet
With aproned waiters, a tile floor and old-fashioned light fixtures, this is the sort of glorious Paris bistro the whole world dreams about. The ultimate meal here begins with the sublime terrine de foie gras, followed by the best boeuf bourguignon in Paris, and homemade mille-feuille for dessert.
L'Affable
Since real bistros are becoming harder to find in Saint-Germain- des-Prés — the rents are too high for most to make a go of it — it’s great news when a new one opens, especially if it’s as good as this snug, stylish dining room just off the Rue du Bac. Chef Jean-François Pantaleon, who previously cooked at Apicius, creates delicious contemporary French dishes such as steamed eggs with smoked salmon, a starter; grilled pork belly with salsify tatin; and pears poached in spiced red wine with spice bread ice cream for a chic local crowd.
La Bigarrade
Off the beaten path in the 17th arrondissement, this casual dining room has become one of the most popular new restaurants in Paris. Chef Christophe Pelé changes his two tasting menus daily (there is no à la carte menu). Expect dishes such as roasted foie gras in red-cabbage juice with cockles; steamed cod with fresh ewe’s milk cheese; and passion fruit sorbet with fromage-blanc ice cream.
La Fontaine de Mars
With red-and-ivory-checked curtains, waiters in white aprons and a menu that runs to delicious classic French dishes such as pâté de campagne, foie gras, confit de canard and blanquette de veau, this is a textbook example of the traditional Parisian bistro, a much-loved species that’s sadly becoming endangered. Excellent service; open daily.
Le Paul Bert
This cozy bistro in the residential 11th arrondissement is where you’re likely to find Paris food critics eating on their nights off. The blackboard menu changes daily, but runs to dishes such as coddled eggs with wild mushrooms, veal sweetbreads, great steaks and homemade seasonal fruit tarts. The wonderful wine list is especially strong on Côtes du Rhônes.
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- Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper’s Bazaar August 1949 http://t.co/wvymzYcXFT ... 3 hours ago
Can you recommend an agency for renting a 3- or 4-bedroom apartment in Paris during June? There are many around, but I'd like to find someone who is competent and reputable. Thank you.
Hello,
We actually do work with an excellent apartment rental company which owns several beautiful apartments in Paris. Feel free to contact us to go over the options - you can reach the Travel Office at (800) 375-4685, (630) 734-4610 or reservations@andrewharper.com.
Best Regards,
The Travel Office
A friend and I just returned from Paris where one of the highlights of the trip (besides staying at Relais Christine) was the two neighborhood tours and the cooking class we took with Eye Prefer Paris' Richard Nahem. It was like seeing Paris with a dear friend who happens to speak English and knows all the great spots!
http://www.eyepreferparistours.com/
My wife and I are going to take our young children to Paris this summer. Any special experiences you can recommend that we should include (outside of the obvious ones)?
Hello,
What a wonderful idea to bring your family to Paris, and I think you'll find that children respond to the city with real enthusiasm.
Aside from classic child-pleasing things such as a ride on the Bateaux-Mouches, I'd suggest that you take them to Angelina, the pastry shop in the rue de Rivoli famous for its hot chocolate.
Otherwise, the Luxembourg Gardens on the Left Bank is an ideal place to spend time with children. They rent wooden sailboats to tack across some of the basins and offer pony rides and puppet shows (have your hotel concierge check on the showtimes).
I've also had the pleasure of watching the look of sheer amazement that comes over young faces when entering the 13th-century Sainte-Chapelle on the Ile de la Cité and seeing its stained glass for the first time, and no trip to Paris should be without a visit to Berthillon (right next to the bridge that connects Ile de la Cité with Ile Saint-Louis), the famous ice-cream maker with a terrific selection of offbeat flavors such as salt-butter caramel ice cream.
Children seem to enjoy fondue, too, so I'd check with my concierge to find out what fondue restaurants he currently recommends.
Have a wonderful trip.
Regards,
Andrew Harper
My wife and I are planning a trip to visit our daughter in Paris in June. On past visits we have stayed at the Pavillon de la Reine which we love. Our Daughter has moved such that a hotel in the 2nd. or 9th. (Opera/Vendome area) would be more convenient. We would welcome suggestions for hotels in that area having comfortable sized rooms in the E400-E500 per night range