Simi

Has anyone dined at this French Institution? Thoughts? Is it worth the near $200 per person cost?

Wendy

Simi, I absolutely disagree with the last post! I for one look forward to my amazing Michelin starred dinners in France and by no means is this the same food you would get at a bistro!!<BR>I have not eaten at Alain but have seen many, many fabulous reviews. I have eaten at Jules Verne and have reservations at Taillevent for January.<BR>If you splurge on one of these types of restaurants at least once in your life than you will know for sure if it is worth it to you or not!<BR>Go For It!!!<BR>Wendy

elaine

Dear Simi<BR>"worth it" is up to the individual as you know.<BR>Actually, my impression is that the cost could easily be more than $200 pp, depending on the wine choice.<BR>Two close friends of mine had dinner there in March. They have tried many of the haute cuisine temples in Paris, and felt that Ducasse was just not on the topmost of an admittedly celestial tier. They've much preferred<BR>Taillevent, L'Ambrosie,<BR>Lucas Carton, and Le Grand Vefour, and I certainly concur with those four as being spectacular in every category.<BR>I'm sure you can get a variety of opinions as to Chez Ducasse.

Phil

To "Oh No" - <BR>Get a grip. My wife and I have dined several times at restaurants like Taillevent and Jules Verne while in Paris. We are neither stupid, nor do we consider it anyone's business but our own how our money is spent. <BR><BR>My wife and I are self-made. We each paid our own way through college and made many personal sacrifices to achieve career success. Why should you care how I earned my hard earned money. As Ghandi said, wealth isn't a sin. Wealth without hard work is. <BR><BR>You claim you have never eaten at these restaurants yet you seem to know what they are like. Quite an assumption on your part. By the way, we also love cheap bistros on occassion. Sometimes we want more and want to get great service, and an exceptional meal. <BR><BR>Unless you are a communist, why should my freedom of choice bother yor?<BR><BR>P.S. Sometimes in the business world, you need to spend money to make money. If I can spend $1,500 on dinner for five at a great restaurant and my client awards me a multi-million piece of business because we treated him well, aren't my shareholders benefitting?

Not a Follower

I think the real reason is not how wonderful the food was, more acurately, to return home and impress everyone with how expensive your meal was or just to tell all your snooty little friends that you tried their "recommendations".<BR><BR>I asked one relative what his wonderful meal consisted of at Jules Verne Restaurant (he didn't remember). All he talked about for 1.5 years was how much he spent there.....hahahahaha<BR><BR>What a fool or should I say "sheep"

elaine

One person's "ridiculously expensive" meal is another person's "ridiculously expensive" hotel or car or big-screen tv or house or shoes or tuition or salt shaker collection. We all have different preferences when it comes to spending.<BR><BR>Dear Simi<BR>You asked a legitimate question<BR>and received very few actual responses.<BR>I hope if you need other information in the future you will try again--some trolls here just want to vent or provoke, but most enjoy sharing travel information, at all price levels.<BR>Don't let the turkeys get you down.

Phil

Simi,<BR>Sorry, Elaine is right. I'm sorry I can't give you an answer on the food at Alaine Ducasse. <BR><BR>You might want to look at the website for zagats. (www.zagats.com) I found their Paris guide very helpful as reviews are based on real people, and not professional food critics.<BR><BR>He also operates a restaurant in NY. The reviews of that location might give you a sense of the Paris original.

cdf

The restaurant in NY is fantastic so I would think the one in Paris to be at least equal to that.It is terribly expensive, but that is an individual thing, how people spend their money is their business.It is more than just eating in a restaurant, it is an experience that a lot of people will never have, and if you have the opportunity and want to do it, ENJOY! and BON APPETIT.

elaine

Phil made a good suggestion, I opened my Zagat 2002 Paris guide, reviews based on responding restaurant goers.<BR>AD in Paris gets a 27 out of 30 for food, 26 for service. comments included<BR>"out of body experience", "sublime haute cuisine." <BR>Sounds pretty darn good.<BR>

eee

hmmm the original post that called this stupid is all gone the editors at work again.,......

Fred

1) Rule of society # 348.93 subsection 27 - Never tell anyone how to spend their money.<BR>2) I can only talk about Taillevent and Le Grand Vefour, both of which were marvelous. Is any meal worth the price? I don't think so if you're only tasting food, but if you go to it as theater, that something else. It's a dining experience, with all that goes with it in addition to the food. A guy who used to work for Michelin said the first star was for the food, the second the service, and all the rest was theater.<BR>For more Paris information e-mail me &ETH; [email protected]

xxx

people who refer to other people as "that" such as "people THAT eat at places like this..." shouldn't call other people stupid. The correct pronoun form is "people WHO eat at...."<BR>People who criticize the way others spend their money likely will never have any money, only class envy, and jobs at McDonalds.<BR>Bon appetit.

notrich

Funny how so many people without money-worry about how others spend theirs.

mimi taylor

Hello Simi, I have not been to Ducasse's Paris restaurant but I can speak for his lovely place in Mustiers where we spent a few nights. Worth the once in a lifetime experience.The most expensive place we ate the best dinner of our lives, the theatre of it all, etc. Was the Auberge de Eridin on Lake Annecy.