Astier

I had a dinner with some friends last summer. regarding the comments on many restaurant guides i was expecting good quality food. the starter was too salty (couldnt eat) and the desert (chocolate fondant) was particularly heavy. only the cheese could save the dinner...

You are seated within a hairsbreath of diners at neighboring tables. Everyone is talking at once and there are no empty tables in this very large space. The menu has a few items you've never seen before. Your companion is beginning to think you've lost your mind bringing him here. Then something that smells wonderful arrives at the table on your right. After a polite interval, you ask the young woman who ordered it how she likes the dish and she moans with delight, explaining the tastes in detail. It's a plateful of tiny raviolis, the kind that Catherine de Medici brought with her to the French court. You are tempted to ask for seconds, please, as the waiter removes your plate. Then the cheese tray arrives with a staggering array and you order a small portion (un morceau) of each, leaving out a few so as not to appear too gross. The waiter shows no surprise as you go on to dessert; after all, four courses are offered and you are not expected to skip one.
Your companion allows you to choose the restaurants from then on.