Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Paris: Are these restaurants good choices?

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Paris: Are these restaurants good choices?

Have narrowed Patricia Wells and Cheap Eats restaurants down to these for our 14 days in Paris. Fodorites seem to know their stuff, so could you please tell me if you would omit any of these? Chez Maitre Paul, La Regalade, La Fontaine de Mars, Le Bistrot de Breteuil, Baracane Bistrot de L'Oulette, Astier, L'Ami Leon, Jamin. Comments on any welcomed. Appreciatively, GHC

Hello GHS~ Would you mind sharing what you are looking for in these/a restaurant so that we can share with you whether or not these restaurants will match your expectations? You ARE right! Fodorites KNOW Paris restaurants! ~Wendy~

On target w/ Paul (poulet), Breteuil and Baracane (duck confit) - reserve. Wonderful 1/02. Cheap Eats is the bees knees (Janese).

GHC Hi If you want to do some more cross-referencing, check out the comments elsewhere on this Fodor's website under Restaurants, Rants and Raves. Also, timeout.com has helpful comments, and I love the Zagat restaurant guide for Paris.

GHC: I am with Elaine. Zagat is great. Just got the 2002 edition in Paris. it's E 15.- or some $13.-. www.zagat.com

I can still taste the fantastic chicken in cream sauce from Chez Maitre Paul! Fantastic choice! I have also heard great reviews on Jamin and Fontaine. Definately make reservations!!

La Regalade is my favorite bistro. Lots of the famous chefs eat there on their day off. It is not inexpensive and everyone is dressed very classic, men jackets and ties and women with attractive but not bright dresses.

wendy-is that the chicken that you got by mistake but you loved it anyway? what was the dish called, do you remember? I am going to put together a new list of places to go next trip, not repeating any we have been to before..wow,what a chore:)

Chez Maitre Paul -- great -- recommend the poulet jaune I think it was called. I'll try to bring up my trip report with specifics. Also the creme brulee was great. Definitely reserve. The duck breast in peppercorn sauce at La Fontaine de Mars was delicious. Le Bistrot de Breteuil was my favorite! Again, I'll try to bring up my report with details. Have heard good things about L'Ami Leon but didn't get there. Have a great time -- sounds like you've done your research -- eating in Paris is SO wonderful!

It was the poulette gratinee at Chez Maitre Paul that I had and loved, not the poulet jaune (although I wanted to try that too!). Just topped my trip report for you.

c- you have a memory like a steal trap!! Yes, you are right, but I can't remember the name of it! What I got was chicken in a cream suace that had about 2 lbs. of butter in it! yum!!

cdf - poulet at Chez Maitre Paul - mais oui - 12/29 may have been a while ago but I still dream of that chicken! It's the wine from the Jura region that gives the yellow sauce (well, okay, jaune if I must) such a distinctive flavor. But with it, a 1998 St. Emilion is the best course - for the grapes on the right side of the Girone River were fabulous, so St. E or Pomerol of course would be wonderful as well - but their list didn't list P. Cheap Eats of course will give you more polished detail. Kudos to W and L. See what a card will do!

Excuse, W & L are Wendy and Lisa who suggested Chez Maitre Paul earlier.

For Lisa, I had read your trip report before and it was why, in part, I chose two of these restaurants. I faxed my reser. today....thank you very much. Chez Maitre Paul is first on our list complete with the chicken!

Leave plenty of time to locate CMP - it's hard to find off Blvd. St. Germain, so suggest you go up St. Michel and turn right on its street. Come down the street and it will be on your left, on the corner, a 100 yds. before St. Germain. The service is a bit haphazard - when you're ready to order, give a wave to the first waiter you see. Great food.

Another affirmation for Maitre Paul. And while you're on rue Monsieur le Prince, mosey a few steps farther to Polidor. Not expensive, real French country food. Myth: One gentleman has eaten dinner there every night for 40 years. Tables have little drawers where you can stash your napkin.

Wendy, the word "Foodies", of course, can be found within "Fodorites." :~)

Wendy , thank you for thinking that I still have a memory, then maybe you can tell me where I left the dog? DLt, W&L- CMP is on my new list.. special people deserve special cards.

Just got back from Paris yesterday and wanted to let you know we tried to go to L'Ami Leon but it was closed with the windows soaped over. There was no notice posted of a change of address so we assume they are gone. Ate nearby at Fontaines de Rue St Honore which was horrible - both in terms of service and food. Our favorite was Chez Max - food was incredible and gotta love Max! Also enjoyed Polidor - great tartin tatin (sp???).

for Nadine, thank you very much for tip about L'Ami Leon as we most certainly would have tried it. Chez Max sounds like a good alternative. Any other tips would be appreciated. Merci!

I'm doing the very same thing--reviewing everything I can get my hands on to be sure we make the very best bistro picks. Besides many of those already mentioned I'm giving heavy consideration to: Restaurant des Chauffeurs in the 16th near Muette, P'tit Troquet in 6th, A la Biche au Bois in 12th, Au Charpenteirs in 6th and Chardenoux in 11th. Any personal experiences with any of these. It's so hard to commit.

Julie: Seems as though a recent post speculated that Les Chauffeurs, 8 Chaussee de la Muette, may have disappeared recently in a cloud of smoke. Couldn't be found in Les Pages Jaune or by a Fodorite who went looking. Interested in the results of your quest.

Thanks, Alex, for the heads up on Les Chauffers. We've got 11 "meal opportunities" while we're in Paris. Based on planned itineraries and my reading of beaucoup guidebooks on Fodor posts, here's my tentative list. When I'm torn between multiple options, I usually go with the best food/price ratio I find in Zagat. 1st lunch in Les Halles area--Chez Clovis on Rue Berger, a sentimental favorite of ours and a real throwback to the glory days of Les Halles. Alt-Chien Qui Fume around the corner from Chez Clovis. Love the name and it has higher zagat than other picks. Can't predict arrival time for sure or else would try for reservations at Chez Denise. dinner--Bouillon Racine in 6th. selected for interior and exterior decor, likely fun place for group of 6, Belgian food and beer. 2nd day lunch in Rouen. Several options available. dinner--Chez Vong in Les Halles area off Rue St. Denis, also a sentimental favorite. Prettiest Chinese restaurant we've ever been in and again, good for a party of 6. 3rd day in 16th--since Chauffers now out of picture, will move to second choice, Le Gare. Has poor zagat food rating (10) but interested to see decor, converted rr station. Need to vary bistro theme with something trendy. dinner--after performance at Opera Garnier, 16 Haussmann. Continues modern, trendy theme of the day. Good Zagat index. Open late. Alternates Pierre la fontaine gallion and cafe Runtz. 4th day lunch, Julien for art nouveau interior and nearness to sites on itinerary. dinner at P'tit Troquet from magazine pictures and good zagat index. 5th day lunch at A la Biche au Bois for location, excellent zagat ratio (21 food and 214ff) and because I tried to go here last time and couldn't fit it in. dinner--Le Violon d'Ingres, a favorite, just plain great. 6th day lunch Chez Maitre Paul a must do after all I've read on the Fodor site. I know I'll be torn when ordering. Trying to decide if there's any way I can pack away two entrees. dinner--Le Regalade with its high Fodorite recs may push out old favorite Chez Julien, a romantic little place near the Seine in the 4th that was a featured venue in Accidental Tourist. Oh for more time for more meals. Still open to reconsidering based on Fodorite review here.

We went to Jamin in January. It is where the Joel Rubechon (spell) legend got started and it is a very fine place. The dinner is a total event, I would plan to spend about 3 hours there. I would also call at least 3 weeks in advance for a reservation. The great thing about Jamin is....unknown to tourists. We ran into a French executive from my husband's company there and he was absolutely shocked, had never seen any foreigners there before. We were treated beautifully. Since the service is slow and each morsel of food custom-prepared, eat a big lunch prior to going. Try the WHITE Chauteauneuf de Pape, a wonderful and rare wine.