jillrapuzzi

Hi, my husband and I have a reservation at Taillevant for dinner during our trip. Everything I have heard is wonderful and we are willing to splurge for an amazing meal. But I'm just curious, what should we expect to pay? I hate not having an idea of how expensive a place really is. Can anyone give me an idea on price? Thanks a lot.

SoBeTraveller

$500 or more, depending on the wine.

SuzieC

I just left reservethebest and found a sample menu. So I pretended!
From that sample, I could have the foie gras for 42e's, the lamb for 50'es and a Craquant tout chocolat for 20e's...
and since I wouldn't drink water there (I could I mean, but why wouldn't one have wine?)...the sommelier would have to help me with wines, so I'd try to keep his choices down to earth...

Bon Appetit!

Ryan

Would agree, you should expect at least $500. But, it is money well worth spending. We've eaten their twice and both times have found it to be one of the best all-around dining experiences of our lives.

The food is exceptional. But, plenty of places serve fantastic food. The wine list is exceptional, which isn't uncommon. What sets Taillevent apart for me is the incredibly gracious service and the feeling that you are a familiar guest. The service is immaculate, without being instrusive.

For the wine, I'd suggest that you consider ordering after you've selected your entrees. The Sommelier the first time we went (believe his name was Nicholas) actually suggested a bottle that was about $200 CHEAPER than the one I inquired about. He indicated that it would work better with the entrees we'd selected.

I honestly can think of few other establishments that would actually suggest you spend LESS! By contrast, the Sommelier at Tour D'Argent sarcastically suggested as an alternative their most expensive bottle of Romanee Contee when I inquired about a Burgandy wine on their list.

Go, enjoy, and then long for your next time there!

jillrapuzzi

Thanks, we love food and love to eat, so I'm inclined to go for it. Just hope my husband doesn't have a heart attack when the bill comes!

Ryan

Jill,
If you think he might have a coronary when the bill comes, you might consider going for lunch instead. That'll probably knock a couple of hundred off the bill.

If you're going to go, I say don't skimp.

Patrick

Ryan, your comment about the sommelier at Tour d'Argent sounds familiar. You're not the first person to be treated like "trash" there by an aloof employee. I've never heard such a comment about the staff at Taillevant.

SoBeTraveller

A suggestion about wine: any (and I do mean any) bordeaux for vintage 2000 would be acceptable. If Taillevent offers their own chateau, or a special deal they received from a negociant or winery, and the price is lower than other wines, you should by all means select the lesser priced wine. Or go with wines by the glass. We normally take a starter and main, but skip dessert, stopping at a sidewalk place for late night coffee or drink. Given the extraordinary expense, compounded by the exchange rate, I'd focus where it means the most.

jillrapuzzi

Thank you all for your help. I think we'll go for it, you all make it sound so wonderful and an experience of a lifetime. I think we'll do it and then eat at less expensive plaes the rest of the trip.

SoBeTraveller

Invest in "Cheap Eats in Paris" - Sandra Gustafson. We've used this before, and for an upcoming trip, and it is simply terrific. Will make a nice balance to Taillevent.

joemar

I guess it wouldn't be good to order a RC. Would it be considered bad form to ask the wine dude about a bottle less that $50? What about a martini? Or, does everyone order wine in these joints?

SoBeTraveller

I'm constantly surprised by comments re: Tour d'Argent, as though this restaurant is anything more than an historical location. Lets not mention this place anymore, please ... someone might be misled into thinking it deserves consideration.

Underhill

"Cheap Eats" is now called "Great Eats."

carolynk

Just a comment on Sandra Gustafson's books: I thought her early books were wonderful, but on our trip to London last summer and to Paris the September before that, we were very disappointed. Opening days were wrong, some included restaurants had closed, descriptions no longer matched the current situation--in short, they badly needed updating and weren't trustworthy. The hotel books are probably OK (because hotels don't change as fast) but I'd be very careful of the restaurant books. She's overextended.

marcy_

How far in advance do you need to reserve for dinner at Taillevent?

Josh

http://www.taillevent.com/english/restaurant/carte.html

SoBeTraveller

Naturally you have to update her book, some places change and some close. She offers updates, so you can annotate in the margins. Just like anything, the restaurant scene in Paris isn't static. I assumed we all knew that. By the way, you can also use Particia Wells' cookbooks and other materials to hone in. I'd say Zagats is over-extended, but not PG. She's reliable.

elaine

Surprised to hear of the disappointment with a Gustafson book as I've never found her listings to be significantly outdated or in need of revision and I've used them for several locations.

In a sense, any publication is outdated as soon as it goes to print, even websites if they aren't scrupulously updated every time hours of admission or the fees or the other rules change.
Some sources better than ever at keeping up.

I'm starting to agree with the Zagats being overextended. I've bought the books in New York City for years, but their survey methods have changed (via interactive website) and I'm not sure they are getting the same large sample of responders for London or Paris, for example, that they used to get in NYC.

SoBeTraveller

Over 30 years ago, relatives knew the Zagats personally, and were on their informal list for "in" places in a NYC newsletter. From that small beginning, wow ... but of course Zagats is only as good at the people who dine out and then complete their rather laborious survey instrument. Z continues to rve about dumps, despite numerous letters advsing they take a closer look. But Z ia an okay starting point.

stormygirl

jillrapuzzi, my husband and I had our most memorable meal there a few years back. We both had the chef's tasting menu, aperetifs, a half bottle of white, a bottle of red, after dinner drinks and cafes and we were just under $500. We were there for 5 hours and it was amazing!

Also there is a wonderful book out right now called 'A Meal Observed' and the whole thing is about Taillevent.