Paris restaurants for Christmas?
 

Can anyone with first-hand knowledge suggest any good restaurants that will be open for lunch and/or dinner on Christmas Eve (Sunday) and Christmas Day (Monday) this year (2006)?
We are hoping for something more upscale than a smoky bistro or middle-eastern place, but we know it's tough because the best French restaurants are usually closed Saturdays, Sundays and sometimes Mondays. Bad timing, but we will do what we can.
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

I have dined at Christian Constant's Les Violin d'Ingres on Christmas Eve and Les Ambassadeurs in the Hotel Crillon for Christmas.

Other hotel dining rooms will also serve. The menus are usually presented online. I know the Les Ambassadeurs is. It may not be there this early for 2006..and then again, it may be.

Both were very festive and lovely for the occasion.

We had Christmas eve dinner at Chez Vong, a very beautiful Chinese restaurant in the Les Halles district on Ave. Truanderie. Christmas day lunch as at Pied de Cochon, a beautiful basserie that is open night and day every day all year.

I would imagine that Le Train Bleu, the gorgeous Belle Epoque restaurant at the Gare de Lyon would be open on Christmas Eve/day. Check it out at www.le-train-bleu

Be advised that many restaurants that are open Christmas Eve may be serving a special menu; you may not be able to order from the regular menu. And you should reserve reasonably far in advance (three to six weeks ahead and perhaps more for one of the top restaurants).

Les Ambassadeurs would be an excellent choice.

Christmas Eve and Christmas day menus are probably always special "set" menus. All the ones that I have been to were so.

As I said earlier, you can pull up their menu online and make your reservations online for places like Les Ambassadeurs in the Crillon Hotel.

Joan

Actually, we have been able to order from the regular menu at a few cafes/brasseries that were open Christmas eve but closed early. They had regular menu items available for lunch and until early evening. But they closed at 8 pm.