tomarkot

We're getting excited about our trip to Paris from December 27-January 2. We've been attempting, to no avail, to book a reservation for an early dinner (18:30 or 19:00) on New Year's Eve, as we'd like to attend a 20:30 concert. We're staying in the St. Germain area at Le Regent Hotel on Rue Dauphine, and are hoping to confine our New Years' Eve activities within walking distance of our hotel. We'd like to book Chez Fernand on rue Christine, or a similar bistro, somewhere between our hotel and St. Severin Church. We've e-mailed our hotel twice with a polite request for help and, after waiting a week, have received no response. We can't seem to locate any web addresses to e-mail restaurants, and fear that a phone call, with our very basic French, might not give us the confirmation we'd like.

If anyone has any suggestions of a source for e-mail to reach any of these restaurants, or any other means of booking reservations, we would really appreciate ideas. If it were any other evening, we wouldn't be concerned, but we'd prefer not to spend New Years' Eve without dinner, or be relegated to an expensive establishment. Thanks to all for any suggestions!

StCirq

I don't think there's a restaurant in all of Paris that would take a reservation that early on NYE or really much of any other time. Most popular restaurants have one sitting on NYE, a pre-fixe meal that would begin much later than that and might involve music or other entertainment as well as food and drink. Plus, all the most popular restaurants have probably been booked for weeks if not months.

I think you'll probably have to revise your expectations and look within a wider geographical circumference, or make a phone call (probably many of them). I can't think of a single restaurant in Paris where there isn't at least someone with a rudimentary knowledge of English.

Good luck.

Christina

yeah, I think thats' right. NY Eve is a big night for restaurants, they charge a lot and have special menus, usually. You just want to go to a regular restaurant thinking it will be just like any other night and same prices. No restaurant would take a reservation at that hour, anyway, like you want. They aren't open then. You need to go to a place open all the time, like Bofinger's or Cafe de l'Opera. They aren't in St Germain, though.

I understand your issue about calling, it would make me nervous too. Rudimentary English skills won't cut it. I can speak French passably well and there are still some communication problems and when I called the Opera, for example, to order tickets, that guy asked me to repeat things slowly several times to make sure he got it correctly, and he spoke English pretty fluently.

However, you could call your hotel directly and ask them to help you since they haven't answered your emails, that would be more likely than calling a restaurant, I'd say (and a restaurant may be more likely to work well with your hotel than some random stranger from the US). You need to have them try to find some place that would even be able to serve you, as that is not going to be easy to find (some place open at 6:30 for a regular dinner on NY eve, or ever). Even Bofinger's won't allow you to reserve past 3 pm on NY eve (I think they may be closed or else are all booked up). You could try Coupole. Le Grand Cafe over near the Opera (one of my faves, open 24/7) also won't allow you to reserve that day. And both those have online reservation systems.

I'd suggest you forget the fancy dinner and just go to some cafe and eat whatever you can get. I suspect at 6:30 they won't be that busy (other than drinks) and you can get something to eat.

YOu can try emailing Balzar, and see what they say, they have a form http://www.brasseriebalzar.com/resa/

Christina

FYI, this works, try www.lafourchette.com using the date and hour you want. It does list choices where you can reserve at 6:30 or 7. YOu can limit it to arrondisement (75005 or 75006) in the "ou" box.

You can reserve at 7 at Aux Charpentiers, good place in the 6th. There are lots of choices in the 5th, also. I think you just have to go with what you can get (never heard of most of these places, I do like Le Volcan at top of rue Mouffetard), and not try to get one of the most in-demand places in Paris (liek Chez Fernand)

but this tool seems to make it pretty easy!

tomarkot

Thanks so much to all for your responses. Early dinner and a concert isn't our normal way to celebrate NYE. However, since we've learned that Paris doesn't have fireworks, etc., we thought we'd arrange "entertainment" for the evening, and just stroll the streets afterward. . .weather permitting. However, we may now do a Plan B and just try to do dinner someplace.

Christina, we're going to follow the link you provided and hopefully we'll find a reservation someplace in the 6th or 5th. We'll let you know. Thanks so much!

Grassshopper

maybe you could have a special lunch and leave your evening free for the concert and strolling (and maybe find a bar or two to tipple in.

denisea

If you haven't found anything and are willing to travel over to the 7th, try Reed on rue St Dominique. The chef-owner is so friendly! The food is AMAZING! they just opened in May and it is small-about 16 seats or so. Joan has been several times and we went tonight...loved it. Catherine Reed is the chef and it is located between rue st Dominique and rue de Grenelle at 11 rue Amelie. (near rue Cler). 01 45 55 88 40. Catherine does speak English.

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tomarkot

Thanks, denisea. I sent a small response on your other thread. We really appreciate this suggestion of the REED. We just received an e-mail response from our hotel that they're getting a menu from Chez Fernand. We responded that they should just book us any time on New Year's Eve, or book us at another similar place. If we don't receive any "confirmation" back, we'll definitely pursue the REED.

tomarkot

Hi Denisea,

On a different point. . .how is your knee? Hope it's doing much better. Are you using the metro? Also, do you know if you can purchase Voltaren Gel in pharmacies in Paris? Do you need a prescription? I'm thinking about waiting until we get there in late December to "stock up". It's really expensive here. Appreciate your thoughts.

Continue to enjoy your trip!