$150 to spend on dinner in Paris
 

My dad sent me a check for $150 to "spend the money on ONE delicious dinner at a famous restaurant."

Being a budget traveler, I just can't see spending $150 for one dinner. That money would cover most of my lunches! I'm thinking I could spend the money on 2 dinners that would be considered a splurge.

I know there's all sorts of recommendations at different prices, but I wanted to see what you might suggest. I just don't think there's a meal out there worth $150.

Monica ((F))

$150 (or roughly 115-120€) isn't a lot for two people to spend on a dinner at a good French restaurant, esp. if you have a bottle of wine. OTOH, it's not a little either. and if the $150 is just for one person, that's certainly more than adequate for most restaurants and would cover some of the "big names" in the Michelin guides if you go for lunch instead of dinner.

But what's your taste in food (and atmosphere)? Modern, trendy? Traditional? Bistro? Are you more into the wine than the food, vice versa, or are they equally important? And do you like foie gras, sweetbreads, etc., or would you rather have fish or even French-influenced Asian cuisine? Or is it that you like a nice meal, but you're not what might be called a "serious" foodie (and there's nothing wrong with that! My favorite French meal is salad with warm goat cheese followed by roast free-range chicken, hardly an adventurous choice).

I think the real danger is that if you spent it at a really great restaurant for a $150 meal, you might find out that you really CAN appreciate fine dining. What then? It's not unlike the danger of taking a first class flight. You may have been comfortable in coach before, but you never will again!

And maybe I'm wrong, but isn't monica traveling alone? So it's not for two people?

You might think of a compromise and spend at least half -- or do that twice, or what about including the money to get to a place outside of Paris and having a really nice meal there? You wouldn't need to feel guilty about not spending it the way he intended since the money would also be getting you there.

What about lunch at Jules Verne? Or maybe even dinner. The experience would certainly be very memorable -- perhaps more so for the atmosphere and views than for the food (which you may not appreciate at a real "foodie" place. And you'll always remember your dad's kindness in sending you there.

I certainly don't mean that a $150 meal isn't worth it, as I’m sure there are places worth dropping $150. I just have never spent that kind of money on myself (yes, the $150 is for just me, and I consider myself a foodie - I love foie gras and other unusual foods, as well as traditional - Your "salad with warm goat cheese followed by roast free-range chicken" sounds delicious and satisfying) but more along the lines of up to $80. I am looking for a place to enjoy a good dinner. I told my dad I would search for a place but I think 2 dinners would be more appropriate for me.

Monica ((F))

No, no fast food for me! ;)

Monica-if I were you, I'd take that money, splurge on "Les Ombres" tasting menu at night (95 Euro) and sit and revel in that view of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine at night. Fab!

Since your dad sent the money for ONE delicious dinner I think that is what you should do. You will remember it always because it was his gift for you. My dad used to do things like that and it makes the memories of him and the experiences very special. It wont be the same if you use it for 10 quick lunches. Make sure you take pictures to share with him.

I agree with 2 previous posters.
When one's parents are not around any more, those special things they did for us shine even more in our memories.

The only advice I see posted here that I DON'T agree with is blightyboy. Pretty insulting!

By all means enjoy a wonderful dinner (and great wine) and blow the entire wad. How many times are you going to be able to do that - unless NeoPatrick is right:).

KC

I think blightyboy has a point.If it is going to make you feel as uncomfortable as you have indicated in your original post -
<<That money would cover most of my lunches!>>
<<I just don't think there's a meal out there worth $150.>> -
give good old dad a call and ask him if you could use $50 for a dinner and spend the rest on something that you would value (souvenir, concert, scarf, shoes...).
Dad sounds like a pretty fine guy and would rather you enjoy yourself. I know I would.

I think there's a lot of difference between saying $150 is a lot of money to spend on one meal, and making an assumption that the poster could only appreciate MacDonalds. I agree it was a rude thing to suggest.

Just assuming the poster is spending a full week in Paris, $150 for "most of my lunches" would indicate an average lunch of over $21. And that says nothing about dinners. There is a lot of difference between a $ 75 dinner and $150 one -- which is what the poster says she is considering, and none of that has a single thing to do with only eating fast food!

Simple Monica...get the $80.00 dinner and a $70.00 bottle of wine.

Patrick - 9 or 10 days actually. The fast food comment was not the poin. The point was that if she is against it from the start, I am afraid the money will not have the effect that dad wanted. monica is well travelled and will have plenty of great food on her cruise in the fall.
kerouac - with that kind of logic you would have given her $200?

Monica,

It sounds like you do appreciate fine food AND that it would be a challenge, given that it's outside of your experience, to spend that much money on a meal. If you wanted to push yourself out of your comfort zone, there are a number of restaurants that I think are well worth that kind of money for a meal, especially if you appreciate good wine and amazing ambiance.

Spending $150 on one meal can mean many things. The price can be about name recognition, about food quality, can be about location and/or ambiance or about the quality of the wine you choose to drink with dinner, or some combination of all of these. If you were to decide to spend the gift as your father intended, choosing the restaurant would partially be dependent on which of the above you would value the most.

As someone said, Jules Verne, in the Eiffel Tower, is an unforgettable experience, although there is better food elsewhere for a lot less money and you need to make a reservation about 3-4 months ahead.

Girlspytravel's recommendation of Les Ombres is a good one. There you get an amazing view, wonderful food and can get a good bottle of wine too while staying in the budget.

As you said, there has been a lot of discussion of restaurants on Fodors, including price, where you can research and choose where you want to spend the money, or you could stay more in your comfort zone and find many restaurants where you could have wonderful meals for about 60 euro (about $75.) and, of course, there are plenty of fantastic meals to be had for 30-40 euros and even less. One of my favorite "budget" restaurants and one of the most delicious meals I had in Paris is at Le Hanger, a tiny place behind the Centre Pompidou with fantastic food, including a huge slab of fioe gras over the most buttery smooth mashed potatoes for rediculous prices. 3 of us had 3 courses with a bottle of wine for 103 euro last year.

Whatever you decide, you will have wonderful meals in Paris if you do your research. Don't let the opinionated rudeness of some stop you from asking questions on this board. There's a wealth of information here and even though in the end we all make our own choices, it can be very helpful to hear about what other people would choose if it were them.

I think this is appalling. Monica is an experienced traveler and a respected, knowledgeable poster. Although she appreciates food, she clearly doesn't feel the need to prove anything by spending more than she deems necessary.

She asked for suggestions on restaurants, not mean-spirited value judgments.

We liked Le Caveau de L'Isle in Paris. It's a very charming little restaurant on Isle St. Louis, with great service and food. Our fixed price menu was about 30EU apiece. You could enjoy a nice dinner there, with wine, and still be under the $150.
:)>-

P.S. Here's the website:
http://www.lecaveaudelisle.com/uk/
:)>-

I just returned from Borders books going through the Zagat Paris book and found several places that sound great. I haven’t checked yet on Fodors to see if others recommended these places (Jacques Cagna, Le Laurent, Gerard Besson, Dominique Bouchet, Au Comte de Gascogne, Le Clos des Gourmets, Au Bon Accueil, and Ami Luois – all of these were rated high and ranged from 50 to 125 Euros). As I was walking out the bookstore with my husband I told him that I would find a very nice restaurant and as KC said, “blow the entire wad.“ My dad wants to treat me to something special.

Thanks to those of you for the recommendation of Les Ombres, Jules Verne (too late for me to make reservations, as I’m going in May), Le Hanger, and Le Caveau de L'Isle (which is actually on my restaurant list I put together – at the top of the list too!). Also, a friend of mine recommended Au Grain de Sel, which sounds good (60-80E).

To respond to Plafield’s comments, when I look for a place to dine, the quality of the food is most important to me, followed by good service and ambiance. I like a meal that’s memorable and fills me – I’d like to be able to say, “That was excellent and well worth every euro cent”. A view is nice, but not a priority, although a view of the Eiffel tower would make the evening memorable. And I’m sure a good restaurant will have a nice selection of wines to choose from. One meal that my cousin and I enjoyed (with other friends) was in Italy several years ago at Cane e Gato. We had a fabulous dinner with wine with each course. Service was excellent. The place was comfortable and pleasant. We paid about $70 per person and felt it was well worth the price for the food/wine and of course, the company of our friends.

By the way, I’ll be in Paris for 9 nights.

Monica ((F))

I'm modifying my recommendation of Le Caveau de L'Isle. It's a very nice little restaurant, but not really what I'd call "elegant". It was perfect for us, a family of four, but for just you and your DH for $150, I'd shoot a little bit higher.

And I agree, Go for it-- your Dad will enjoy hearing about your nice dinner, I'll bet. He wants to give you this gift. So enjoy it, non?
:)>-

Hi M,

>As I was walking out the bookstore with my husband I told him that I would find a very nice restaurant and as KC said, “blow the entire wad.“ My dad wants to treat me to something special. <

Good for you.

Take good notes. Dad will want to know all about the meal as much as we do. :)

((I))

I have decided on Les Ombres. Now to make reservations.

I asked my friend, who is meeting me in Paris, if she'd like to join me (well, she'll pay for her meal ;) ) and she said yes.

As always, I will report back with the details and if it's not too tacky a few food photos.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Monica ((F))