Has La Tour d'Argent Gone down hill?
 

We are going to Paris in November and have made reservations at this landmark restaurant. Is it still wonderful? Or are you paying mostly for the view these days? How is the pressed duck? Anyone? Anyone?

We ate there this April and loved it. The food and wine were spectacular,and the view better,looking down at the lighted Notre Dame towers and the river splitting the fourth and fifth arrondissements. <BR>I am somewhat amused by comments suggesting it has fallen. My palate cannot discern the qualitative difference (if one exists) between cuisine of three, two or one Michelin star restaurants. It's "still" a two star restaurant and has, arguably, the best wine cave in the world, 500,000 bottles, some older than time and more expensive than the average politician's vote.The proprietor visits all his diners. I've been to higher rated Paris restaurants, but none better. <BR>Took my wife there to celebrate a landmark birthday. We did not try the duck (my wife was not in a fowl mood, and the duck is served for two), though many fellow diners did. As you may know, the restaurant raises its own ducks. Very nice retail shop across the street. Go and try not to enjoy.

ttt

What's dinner for two cost at this place--not including wine?

I'd plan on 1800-2000 ff for two people, wine extra. Worth every sous.

Don: <BR> <BR>www.latourdargent.com

Gail, <BR>For the opinion of an especially knowledgeable francophile, get the back issue of La Belle France that features a dinner at Tour d'Argent. The publication is out of Charlottesville, VA. Yes, I've been there. Great view, overpriced, better meals elsewhere. Just my opinion.

We planned to celebrate two landmark birthdays at Tour d'Argent in 1990, but we realized that it is out of our league when we checked the prices. We went to a then two star Michelin restaurant, Arpege, instead. In the late '90s the restaurants traded stars - - Arpege gained and T d'A lost a star in the same year. I don't know if the latter has now moved back to three star status.

We had dinner there last November. My French is not the best, and the Tour d'Argent, they took that as a personal offense and made sure that I know we were not a priority for them. The pressed duck and the view are great. However, unless you are willing to put up with the snobbery, go elsewhere. <BR> <BR>Taillevent, as a contrast, is amazing. The staff makes you feel welcome and like a regular. <BR> <BR>In contrast, at Tour d'argent, the Sommelier "suggested" a $1,500 bottle of Romanee Contee when I asked about a wine from Burgandy. (I asked about a $400 bottle so it wasn't like I was asking for the house red.) By contrast, at Taillevent, they suggested a bottle that was $100 LESS than the one I asked for because they felt it would be a better choice with our food. <BR> <BR>I will say this, I don't regret having gone there at least once. But I will never go back to Tour d'Argent. <BR> <BR>An unknown gem of a restuarant is Relais Louis XIII in the 6th Arr. The Chef, Manual Martinez, was the fornmer chef at Tour d'argent. Great food, nice atmosphere, at 1/2 the price of other top places. Check out the recommendation on Zagats.com, for Paris, if you want a second opinion.

Phil: <BR>Wow, $400 for a bottle of wine. We didn't pay that much for an entire a la carte dinner. In April 2001 we had aperitifs, entrees, main courses and dessert.We did not super size them, though. We also had an astonishingly appropriate wine recommended by the sommellier, a 1990 Puligny Clavoillon, that was about 700FF for the bottle. I didn't pick up any arrogance from the staff at La Tour d'Argent, though I speak a little French, mais pas facilement. <BR>I share your regard for Taillevent, though the ambience is far apart from La Tour d'Argent, and, the latter has much, much better views. I still couldn't say one's cuisine was the better.I can say, to answer Gail's question, it is still wonderful.

One more suggestion: Try L'Ami Louis. Not a great view. Not fancy view. But probably the finest bistro in the world. We had much better food, better service, and a much more enjoyable time there than at a number of the starred Michelin restaurants.

I can't comment on whether it has gone downhill since it has been a few years, but I took a friend to La Tour d'Argent for lunch. We were celebrating a special occasion, and we both thought it was amazing. You can't beat that view, and the service was impeccable. I am not a huge duck fan, but we ordered it and it melted in our mouths. It cost about $150 per person and we did not drink wine. I think it's worth it sometimes to experience special, super-expensive restaurants like this one, or Jules Verne, by going there for lunch since it's cheaper.

Phil, thank you for your comments about the sommelier. Having been to perhaps only two restaurants in my life where there even WAS a sommelier, I have to concur that the man at the Tour d'Argent was simply not doing his job. <BR> <BR>At the restaurant I'm thinking of (not in Paris or even France, but Bermuda) the sommelier was nothing but cheerful and helpful...and our budget was a lowly $40, not $400.

Went to La Tour D'Argent three years ago and find the view stunning. The food is interesting and i would say the duck is worth the visit once. The snobby attitude was clearly in the air. As i was not aware of the dress code, jacket required for dinner, i was asked to put on one that they have. Ther service is not bad but it is with an attitude

Dan, wake up and get the hay out of your hair. One of the top restaurants in the world, and you didn't think that they required a jacket at dinner? You didn't think to ASK if most of their diners wore a jacket at dinner? Did you wear overalls?

Dan, yo!-did they make you cover the gold chain? <BR>Phil, ho!-maybe the wine steward thought you might appreciate an appropriate wine for the meal, or pegged you for a sucker when you announced your choice. <BR>Sue, babe- maybe the sommelier was doing his job correctly, and Phil misinterpreted the advice. Could be the recommended wine, though more expensive, was a better choice.

I agree there snobs. we took some of our new money, mill-e-ons, on Mr. Drysdale's recommendation, to try their vittles. They specialize in innards-- like Granny. Those snotty city slickers was using the eyelash curlers to eat asparagus, a bush!Ms. Jane called them super-silly-us when we corrected 'em. [Jethro, our aspiring brain surgeon, has a sixth grade education]. Nun too sanitary, either. They had minature combs on the table, that some people ate with! And some washed their hands, after cleaning their noses, in the lemon soup bowl. The rubes! The grape juice they suggested was not even sweet, but powerful expensive.Waiters paid more attention to each other then Ellie Mae, though they was purdier than Ellie Mae. We raced back to the hotel to swim in the cement pond.

I ate at La Tour D'Argent in December 1997. Up until last week, it was my favorite restaurant in the world. I just retuned Thursday from Paris, and had the best dinner at Le Bristol. The service was better - caring and professional without being snobby. The decor is much better and the food was superb. I feel that Le Bristol is a much more romantic place to go than La Tour - and a much better value.

Nope, in my view the sommelier needs to consider the budget of the patron as well as the quality of the wine. And I don't buy that 'this is a high class restaurant' attitude for this kind of behaviour; believe me, those who run restaurants are extremely cost conscious. If one of their suppliers tried to respond to an order for some product with something that cost over three times as much, the restaurant would demand a heck of a better rationale than "it's a better choice." <BR> <BR>However, I shall ask a friend of mine who writes a wine column what he thinks.

It used to be a Michelin 3 star, but was downgraded, which has sometimes been a cause for suicide, since the Michelin 3 star system is one of the few and maybe the only grading system that is "blind"; i.e., the chef doesn't know that the Michelin rep is there. Also, 3 stars doesn't allow a lot of room for error. Two stars is an extremely good restaurant, but not worth more than half of what Tour d'Argent charges. Just check other 2 stars in the Michelin Red Guide. They ARE running on their reputation. And don't for get that Tour d'Argent can be translated as the Tower of Money as well as the Silver Tower. Still, if you don't mind the price, the food is excellent.