Restaurant opinions

if you had to pick 2 or 3 of the TOP restaurants in paris, no matter the price, what would you choose?

AND

if you were dining alone, what bistro would you go to have lunch or dinner?

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Email me and I%26#39;ll send you my Paris Pages. It has lots of useful info and also info on our absolute favorite restaurant in the world which happens to be in Paris and happens to be quite inexpensive. My email address is vickisfloyd@hotmail.com

When are you going? Perhaps you could meet up with some fellow Tripadvisor people. We%26#39;re meeting 3 couples for dinner in Paris that we met here on the forum.

As far as dining alone, bistros abound; many are wonderful. I will try to make some additional notes while I%26#39;m there (May 25 - 28) and I%26#39;ll post them when I return.

No one will think it strange if you%26#39;re alone. Many parisians go to cafes and bistros for lunch alone during the workday. But again, chances are, you can meet up with some fellow forum people. Most of us enjoy getting together in another country with people we%26#39;ve only met here on this site.

Top restaurants? I think people will tell you La Coupe Chou, La Coupole, Taillavent, Jules Verne and La Tour d%26#39;Argent. I haven%26#39;t been to those...we prefer to eat less expensively and shop more!!!!

We%26#39;re going to Le Train Bleu one evening though. We%26#39;ve heard it%26#39;s very good.

For booking restaurants, go to the website www.reservethebest.com. You can make your reservations (no credit card necessary) online and then they will email you with a confirmation pretty quickly if the reservation is available. They seem to have all of the %26#39;biggie%26#39; restaurants in Paris. Have a great trip!

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i%26#39;m ok with taillevent tour d%26#39;argent jules vernes because they are gastronomic restaurants, but certainly not the coupe chou. i was there with my friend 2 days ago because everyone speaks about it, it%26#39;s nice inside, but the food is normal. i had duck confit with potatoes, my friend had a salad, and fish. it was like in any restaurant, not excpetionnal so like chartiers i don%26#39;t understand all this stuff about it (even if it%26#39;s 50 times better than chartier because also of the ambiance and several pieces, and the food was better for sure). it%26#39;s a nice restaurant, but for me certainly not a top restaurant, i will not recommend it to my friends. i%26#39;ve never been to the big restaurants like jules vernes taillevent etc, i was only at la maison blanche which was very nice, great food, great service, very modern and great view. my favourite restaurant is still 1728, because it is so beautiful, and the food is really great (very well presented, they don%26#39;t serve food that you%26#39;ll find in brasseries or other restaurants like duck confit etc, but more %26#39;gastronomic%26#39; food). the service there is nice, it%26#39;s very secret far from shops and other restaurants. but there are many very expensive restaurants that i haven%26#39;t tried yet, that have stars and should be great.

and vicky, le coupe chou is more like a brasserie than a top restaurant, it%26#39;s cheap (i mean the duck was 16 euros, the salad around 15 euros), and they don%26#39;t make a special presentation, it is very simple.

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What is up with Vickyfloyd and this constant demand to send her own notes...building a database of Paris visitors?

TOP restaurants.........

Le Train Bleu and la Coupole are fun, historic and a scene but do not even come close to being top. Forget La Coupe Chou. If you are looking for great cuisine, try Taillevent or le Cinq and for excellent cuisine with a view La Tour d%26#39;Argent and the Jules Verne.

For great food and history try Le Grand Vefour.

You can eat just about anywhere on your own without raising a single eyebrow but Joel Robuchon%26#39;s l%26#39;Atelier in the Port Royal hotel has only bar seating, so that may be a fun option.

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Pierre Gagnaire, 6 Rue Balzac

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BEGIN with Taillevent....then take your pick of: Le Grand Vefour, L%26#39;Ambriose, Le Cinc, Laserre, Lucas Carton, La Tour d%26#39;Argent, Plaza Athene, Les Ambassadeurs..and others.

Le Coupe-Chou is a lovely, charming little restaurant with good food--but hardly in the same %26#39;..league..%26#39; as the others. It is a wonderful combination, at a reasonable price that makes this place a %26#39;..keeper..%26#39; If you go for the %26#39;..package..%26#39; odds are you will not be disappointed. But if you go strictly for the food, you may be disappointed.

Though not a %26#39;..destination..%26#39; establishment, one Parisian restaurant that has been a personal favorite and one that we try to get to early in a visit (so that we can return again before leaving) has always been RESTAURANT ALLARD--41 rue Saint Andre des Arts (at rue de l%26#39;Eperon), 75006, Metro: Odeon--

www.reservethebest.com/_en_/restaurant.php…

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Phread - it%26#39;s not a constant demand. Check your dictionary for appropriate definitions of %26#39;demand%26#39; and %26#39;constant%26#39;. (You may want to look up the word %26#39;offer%26#39; and %26#39;kindness%26#39; as well). Some of us just happen to be nice people who enjoy sharing what we%26#39;ve learned with others if they can benefit from that knowledge or research. I have sent my notes to literally hundreds of people and in most cases, they have made it a point to thank me for research that has obviously taken hours of time to put together. Obviously the great majority view this as positive and beneficial to them as evidenced by the hundreds of emails I%26#39;ve received. One must ask why you would care? As a matter of fact, this poster has already emailed asking for my notes. Why would this be such a concern to you? Are you offended by people who are kind and helpful to others? Perhaps you see it as encroaching on your territory? It%26#39;s a sad commentary, my friend. Try not to be so cynical. Life%26#39;s too short. And although it%26#39;s not really worthy of comment, I don%26#39;t have any kind of a %26quot;database%26quot; of Paris visitors. I only keep track of the ones who are particularly unpleasant. And none of them have emailed me. I will admit though, your %26#39;conspiracy theory%26#39; did make me smile.

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Sorry Phread - I was a bit harsh. I%26#39;m sorry you%26#39;re offended by my offering my notes.

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Hi Alex,

I was wondering if what you mean by %26quot;gastronomic%26quot; restaurant is what we call here %26quot;gourmet%26quot;? I know it is a French word, and maybe you are not aware that English %26quot;stole%26quot; it?

I tried to find a translation of %26quot;gourmet%26quot; into English on the web and I got back %26quot;gourmet%26quot;, so much for that... But I believe in English at least it means more special, fancy food than your regular fried chicken and potato.

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We are just back from 9 days in Paris...... as of yesterday and can report that A%26#39;talier Joel Rubouchon (not responsible for misspellings due to beau coup jet lagge%26#39;)is a stunning restaurant, sitting at the bar for the tasting menu was a marvelous experience and some of the small plates were very fine despite a report from our waiter that there was a %26quot;disappointment from the kitchen%26quot; when they served our luscious soups in bowls with white plates , not black stone slabs; Alhors. Allard was a disappointment to those who ordered the famous duck with olives dish, but apple tart was perfect and the ambiance is true Paris Bistro; Costes du l%26#39;Esplanade (Invalide) was hip, beautiful, really good food that I would return for again and again; Aux Lyonnais + Chef Alain Ducasse, was very good, but not mind blowing for the cost per dish (puree%26#39; of pea soup 24 E), but the private dining room was dreamy, service casual and flirty and excellent. I%26#39;d go back and ...the white Cote du Rhone made us smile and say %26#39;more, please!%26#39; We love, always, the dependable, wonderful Au Bon Accueil. We wanted very much to try 1728, but did not. Next trip. We did try a new one: Auguste, having read the raves on www.bonchicparis.com. It was very good and subtle with gorgeous tabletop and dishes. Cafe du Marche in the 7th and their new Italian place next door is relatively inexpensive, and the food is good to ok, solid, dependable with a vibe that can%26#39;t be beat. We loved the macroons at Lucuree%26#39; - oh, I knew I%26#39;d blow that one, but there are plenty of good editors out in TravelAdvisorylandia who will correct me.

That is my restaurant report. NIte nite.

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Hi Vickisfloyd,

If you thought your comments to Phread were harsh, you are just a babe in training. If that had been me responding to her uncharitable comments, her ears would still be burning!!

I think she%26#39;s just jealous because you have such a wealth of knowledge about her city - perhaps she%26#39;s feeling just a little inadequate??

If you could, I would be delighted to have a copy of your notes sent to my e-mail for my trip with my son this summer. Only a fool would choose not to take advantage of such a generous offer as yours.

Many Thanks,

Franpeck@sbcglobal.net