Paris restaurant recommendation, please
 

My son will turn 15 in July, and we will be in Paris at the time. We would like to celebrate his birthday at a nice restaurant. These are our parameters:

-- We would like French food and ambience. The menu and the place do not have to be particularly kid-friendly, since my kids do very well with all kinds of "adult" dishes.

-- Our budget is up to 80 euros per person. Can go a bit higher if it's really worth it.

-- We are taking some nice clothes, so will be able to dress up, if necessary.

-- We are staying in the 6th but are flexible with the location, as long as it's not in the outskirts.

Thanks a lot for your help.

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/searchresult.php

I use Gayot as a guide due to their ranking of restaurant quality, and also reviews.

Below a listing of some of the Michelin starred restaurants.

http://paris.angloinfo.com/af/797/pa...staurants.html

When you get up in perceive quality and Michelin stars, it becomes very difficult, particularly for non-French speaking folks, to obtain reservations.

There are MANY many threads on where to eat in Paris. BUT you might really consider lunch at the Eiffel Tower--Alain Ducasse's resto. I think it fits that budget.
Or again, think about lunch at one of the "biggies" to maximize your budget and enjoy a real dining experience--IF that is what you want.
Some of the Michelin starred restaurants are a little
'too too'' for my tastes. And DO NOT go to Procope.
I think a restaurant with a Paris view would be terrific for him. There are several--others can maybe supply them.

Gretchen,

There are, of course, so many threads, even here about Paris retos. That's the problem. There is so much to choose from and sort out.

I am not familiar with Procope but curious to know what it is about it that makes you reject it. Is it one of the "too too" restaurants or you had an unpleasant experience?

I agree that some of the Michelin starred ones are too much, at least, with kids, and sometimes not worth it. Will check the Eiffel Tower resto and the links from restaguy. Thank you.

I think a lot of people don't think Procope has the best food, that's all. It is one of the most well-known restaurants in Paris which is probably why it was mentioned, a lot of tourists go there.

Given this is only a 15 yr old and there are apparently younger children who will be there, also, I also think the Eiffel Tower sounds like a fun location for such an event. It's hard for me to think children would really want to dine in a fussy (ie some of the more traiditonal French restaurants' interiors) expensive restaurant no matter how great the food, but I've just never known children like that and maybe these are different.

I don't really think one can aspire to top Michelin star restaurants for up to 80 euro a person for dinner, anyway.

Christina,

Thanks for the info on Procope.

"I don't really think one can aspire to top Michelin star restaurants for up to 80 euro a person for dinner, anyway."

Of course, I know how much they cost and when to go there. I never said in my original post that I was aspiring for top Michelin with 80 euros. I just said a nice place with French food.

As for kids, you just don't know my kids. The other child is my daughter, who is 10. We dined at Asiate at Mandarin Oriental in NYC a few days ago, which is not crazy expensive but quite formal for a child. My kids loved it. They like creative appetizers and eating in beautiful plates. My daughter likes to dress appropriately and says she feels very sophisticated.

Gina, to help you wade through all the restaurant threads here, may I suggest the trip reports by denisea (go to Advanced Search and put her name in the Member field). She often stays in the 6th or nearby, loves food and describes the restaurants really well!

Or you could of course go with a tried-and-true classic like <i>Le Train Bleu</i> or <i>Grand Colbert</i>, both of which are fun and tasty. :)

Procope is indeed one of the most famous--and oldest in Paris. Benjamin Franklin ate there--and our table was right under his famous bust. The food was so so, the service absolutely awful, and then they overcharged us grossly. It was my birthday dinner with our entire family there and it was a disaster.
And as for tourists going there, it was definitely a French crowd that night, including the commissioner of police or some such, leading to even more snafus.
Another good source for restaurant recs is Pudlo's.

Our favorites are Bistro des Gastronomes and Le Reminet. Not overly formal,excellent food and service and below 80 dollars a person. Both are in the 5th bordering on the 6th ! Both walking distance from St Germain des Pres!

while not always popular with folks on this board, a 15 year old may enjoy La Taverne Du Sergent Recruteur on Rue Saint-Louis en L'ille. I can't find the web link, but it's a fun rustic sort of place, simple family style meals and folks generally having fun. Does anyone have a link?

I would dine at Les Bouquinistes.

The Countess de Billy has reported to me that Le Reminet is not as good as it used to be.

Thin

Thank you, everybody, for all the recommendations.

Thin, good to see you back, by the way. I was waiting for an opportunity to tell you that you were missed.

Did a Food TR from our visit 2 years ago -- http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...g-in-paris.cfm
Frenchies which we loved, we could not get into on our visit to Paris in July 2011. Had a friend who lives in Paris call and call, but he gave up trying to get thru to them. Too bad, it was great. Le Pamphlet sadly has closed. happy Eating!

I hesitate to suggest it but since the Sergeant Recreuter was suggested, there is Les Ancestres du Gaulois. If not for the birthday, maybe another dinner. I think the kids would really enjoy it, and our grown kids insisted that we go when we were all together--they had all been on other trips/times. The night we were there there was a choir visiting from Holland, I think, and they all sang.
It is all you can eat appetizer, plat, and dessert. Wine is cheap. Food is not gourmet. BUT it IS fun. Maybe 40E?

I wrote 2 recent food reports that include Paris. There are photos too so you can see what the food and space look like.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ims-report.cfm

I was thinking Kei might be nice. It's a bit formal but it sounds like your kids would be fine with that. The lower priced dinner menu is just above your budget at 90 euros but you can also go for lunch which is a great value.

For something that's more bistronomique than fine dining, take a look at Neva Cuisine. A 3 course there will set you back less than 40 euros. The chef and the pastry chef both used to work at La Grande Cascade (which might be another option but I've not dined there).

Oh and you have to scroll down a bit in the first report for a functioning photo link.

Bofinger is always a classic French experience (though plenty of tourists, too), with good food. My kids loved it when they were in their teens. And I believe you can get a discount coupon on the website.

I like St. Cirq's idea. There is one room that has a beautiful ceiling I believe--maybe ask for that?

I assume your companion is a foodie, like so many others in the era of Food TV and parents who also seek out life in dining. So my advice has an element of the showbiz, versus the Michelin star, about it. I love the idea of young people eating it up.
Paris covers all extremes. Le train bleu, atop the Gare de Lyon train station, has survived for decades by combining efficiency and spectacle. No place can beat its rococo ceilings and sweep. Asian tourists and businessmen just off the SNCF mingle for a classic, if uninspired, cuisine, led by waiters who have seen everything and still steer you through a huge cheese plate as the finale. Great fun -- once. Take photos.
On the other hand, and not too far away, La Gazzetta is a sleek bistro in an unfashionable and therefore interesing neighbourhood which despite its Italian name challenges Europian fusion and which can give your guest a lesson in the primacy of the chef. It offers a set 5-piece menu, absolutely no choices, only what the chef wants to cook that day. I haven't always liked everything but there was an incidential piece of green foam and mussels that knocked me off my chair. It might be an education in dining, an explanation of why I go to Paris each year (20 years on). And yes they will pour a taste of wine for this young adult to appreciate the cuisine. Current price at dinner 42€. More information at their website http://lagazzetta.fr/wordpress/ Unfortunatly their ambiable bosses do not watch their e-mail. They do lunch also; call for reservations at night.

http://www.auvieuxparis.fr/le-restaurant.html

quite unique vibe near Notre Dame on isle de cite, lit up very pretty at night and intimate inside