amelia

This is a last-minute trip and a last-minute request for advice.

We're hopping a plane in four hours for a quick three-day stay in Paris. Since we're hanging our hat at the Hotel de Lutece and the weather promises to be extra rainy, what are your favorite Ile de la Cite and Ile de St. Louis restaurants just in case we don't want to venture far one of the evenings?

Lolo

I stayed at their sister hotel, Hotel Deux-Iles, which is right down the block about 2 years ago. I don't remember the names of the restaurants, but if you turn right as you exit the hotel, there are a couple of very good restaurants down the street. I think one is on the corner, but I'm not sure.
Staying in this area is really nice, very neighborhood-ish. Enjoy your trip.

grandmere

You may have seen a recent post on here about Auberge de la Reine Blanche, at 30 rue St. Louis en l'Ile; we're not sure it still exists. But if it does, it's a wonderful little homey restaurant with dependably good food and a favorite of many on here.

Powell

L'Orangerie on the Ile St. Louis is very nice. Upscale.

jody

ARB was still there in November and still very good...But Montechristo HAS changed hands and not for the better.

Or try chez Julien, just over the Pont L, Phillipe.

AlanM1

We just got back from a week on Ile St Louis in December. Two excellent restaurants (as well as many nice ones) are on the Ile St Louis; L'Orangerie, which is to the right side of Auberge de la Reine Blanche (there is no sign outside), and Hiramatsu on the Quai de Bourbon. Both are expensive and could easily run 100 euros a person.
There are also great pastry shops on both Rue St Louis en l'Ile and Rue des Duex Ponts as well as a great cheese shop and butcher.

amelia

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm interested in Hiramatsu, since I'm supposing it's Japanese. Tell me a bit more if you have time.

Have not heard of l'Orangerie before, so the two mentions in the posts intrigue me, too.

_jinx_

A delightful creperie is Le Sarrasin et le Froment---84-86 rue St Louis en L-I'Isle---Ile St Louis. Mina is the waitress/entertainer/proprietor. Great crepes.

Regards,

Jinx Hoover

Patrick

Not quite on either island, but if you go across the bridge from Ile de St. Louis to the right bank (the bridge closest to the Ile de Cite -- damn, where's my Streetwise map?) you'll find yourself facing Chez Julien, a really wonderful little place, always recommended here.

111op

Hiramatsu is French, actually.

From the Michelin Guide Rouge:
"Raffinement a la japonaise au service
d'une talenteuse cuisine francaise."

I remember this restaurant because I read about it in a Times Magazine article, and I looked it up. It's a very small restaurant. It has good reviews and, I believe, one Michelin star. I've never been there.

I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow, and I've arranged to eat at Le Cinq for Sunday lunch.

RonZ

Chez Jullian...that's Pont Louis Philippe

Patrick

Right, RonZ, my brain couldn't think of that name this morning. Now where the hell did I put my Streetwise Paris? It's like my right arm!

RachelG

On the main street that goes down Ile de St Louis, fairly far down, past the Bertillon ice cream place, there is a wonderful restaurant whose name in French is the Doves--they have 2 pairs of doves sitting outside and it is on your left as you walk down the street toward the east, right across from a church. For the life of me, I can't remember the name in French, but we had the most wonderful evening there--we showed up right at opening, there was no one else in the place till right when we were leaving. Absolutely incredible escargot--we had to order another order of it--it was that good.

Michel_Paris

Au Gourmet de L'Ile...award winning ,nice vaulted cellar.

amyb

I second au gourmet d'isle, although it's been 2 years since I was last there. Not only was the food amazing but that was hands down the best service I've had anywhere, ever!

Gretchen

Brassserie en Ile de St. Louis is a good place. It is just across the bridge from Notre Dame on the left--classic brasserie. Their onion tart looked to die for.

kite

Amelia, you must be on your flght to Paris by now but in case you have an acces to internet during your stay in Paris; If you are sushi fan, on Ile St.Louis, there is a Japnese restaurant called Isami (that's my grand father's name!), rather pricy but could be the best sushi in Paris, according to a Japanese friend of mine living in Paris since 20 years. It is located on the Quay facing 6/7eme. Hiramatsu is on the other side of the Ile. We didn't dine at either place so I can't comment on them from our personal experience though. We really liked staying on this island and taking a walk one early morning.

aj

RachelG,

We saw the doves last May and they had eggs in a little nest! I remember that place because of the doves! Do they keep the doves year round?

SugarPlum

I also recommend L'Orangerie. We ate there last February for my (gasp) 40th birthday, and had a prix fixe meal that was around 65 euros pp, I think. Intimate, warm, romantic, wonderful food.

Dave_in_Paris

Patrick et al,

After years of passing Chez Julien and being charmed by the sight of the place, we tried it about two years back. The meal was mediocre, and the service a tad short of the professionalism one finds in even fairly modest Paris restuarants. What happened? (Had it been summer, I'd suspect that the couple greeting and serving-- who I sensed were not native French folks -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- were fill-ins for the usual crew. But to the best of my recollection, it wasn't July or August.)