Paris, Tour d'Argent
 

I have a reservation at TOur d'Argent and had made the reservation solely to eat the pressed duck. I understand the dish needs to be ordered in advance. I am travelling solo. WHen I emailed the restaurant they replied telling me the dish is for two people. I'm now debating if I should cancel the reservation or order a portion for two people and skip the appitisers and dessert.

How large is the portion? How good is the dish? Is it truly memorable or hype?

Any feedback from fodorites who have been to TOur d'Argent and had the pressed duck will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

I imagine the dish is one entire duck.

If you really want to experience the pressed duck at Tour d'Argent, you should! Maybe invite a friend to dinner.

Yes, various dishes like that are only for 2 people, sometimes it is a certain cut of beef or in Spain, paella.

Their menu online says it is for 2 people OR MORE, if you are talking about Le Caneton Frederic Delaire. I believe it is the entire duck.

This is what is on their carte for that dish:230 €
A partir de deux personnes et pour l'ensemble de la table
Pour donner à ce plat emblématique toute l'attention qu'il mérite, faites-nous le plaisir de commander VOTRE CANETON au moins deux jours à l'avance>>

I suppose it's too late, but you could try to book lunch instead if that works. The prix fixe lunch is only about half the price of that dish for dinner, and they do have duck for one person at lunch.

No way I would ever pay 230 euro for a duck (which I rather dislike, anyway), but I wouldn't even pay 100 euro for it. Okay, I could see maybe paying 100 euro for their lunch for the experience.

Thanks fo r the replies. Lunch just doesn't work as I arrive in Paris around 4 pm on a Saturday and depart Monday morning. Saturday night is the only time I can visit the restaurant, they are closed on Sundays.

A caneton is a young duck. Not yet adult.
So you could probably eat it by yourself. La Tour is a gastronomic so portions are not meant to get you stuffed. Never been to la Tour but to quite a few Michelins I can easily eat double portion of one meal only. But ok I could lose weight.
You'll simply pay double what you would if you had been 2 ;-)
Seems to me you want it so go for it.
Have a great stay and Bon appetit !

And please come back with a review of your experience.

I cannot imagine paying that kind of money for a pressed baby duck. I can make you one here for about 20 €. I suppose it's about the "experience" more than the food, but honestly, that's criminal.

Money is made to be spent.
Some spend it on ducks.

But I would bet yours would be as good StCirq !

I can pretty much assure you it would be, WoinParis:) But my dining room is woeful probably compared to La Tour d' Argent.'s. I'd use the linen napkins at least, and the good china.

I'd add a liqueur du safran du Périgord as a digéstif.

Skip the duck and have something else. I'd eat there for the view of Notre Dame, not the duck.

If you want the view of Notre Dame, you go to the IMA for dinner instead.

<Any feedback from fodorites who have been to TOur d'Argent and had the pressed duck will be appreciated.>
Not one of these responders has. They sure like to hear themselves type, though.

Hi planningtravel, coincidentally I have the same question as yours. I so much want to try that duck but can't pay for double portion. Is it okay for you that we go together? Don't worry, you don't even have to talk to me. Please let me know your reservation date if you agree.

'They sure like to hear themselves type, though.'

So do you mate, so do you.
At least I could give some advice on the size of the duck, honey. What is your contribution ?

230€ for one dish, even if shared, is excessive for a one star restaurant.

have something else, for Pete's sake.

it's like people who feel they *must* see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. There's so much great stuff on that menu.

<At least I could give some advice on the size of the duck, honey.>
Men always do, and yet the portion is so often disappointing.

< What is your contribution ?>
I warm myself in your blasts of hot air. They also serve who only stand and wait.

I had lunch with duck many years ago as a graduation present to myself. It was quite good and the staff was very nice. They moved us to a table with a view next to the window when a table opened up after our appetizers. This was however in the late 80's but I doubt if the duck has changed.

'Men always do, and yet the portion is so often disappointing.'

Funny actually. I hope (for you) however thzt it doesn't explain your bitterness or snarkiness...

We went to the Tour d'Argent one October evening in 1988, specifically to enjoy the duck.
It was a big production, the main part of the show was the silver duck press being wheeled out to our table, where the duck carcass was crushed before our eyes, to prove that there really was blood in the sauce.
The duckling is served in several small portions, and there was a flurry of activity heating the sauce at the table, etc.
It was hideously expensive, and we remembered the show which the waiters and sommeliers put on much more than we did the taste of the duck.

If you cannot go for lunch, I'd skip the whole thing.

Frankly, if you could re-arrange your schedule, I'd recommend going to this place on Saturday, where you'll have a much more enjoyable time and extremely good food - mostly game, a lot of blood sauces:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/a-la-biche-au-bois-paris

Furyfluffy, the date I have the reservation is 11 Feb. Do you live in Paris, does that date work for you? I'm in Burma with spotty internet access for about 10 days. Will check in when I can.

Everybody else, I really appreciate the replies. Still debating what to do, like the idea of finding a dinning companion.

I have eaten that dish at Tour d'Argent when it was 3 stars and in my opinion you could do a whole lot better eating at dozens of other restaurants in Paris.

planningtravel : yes I live in Paris and 11 Feb works for me. So I'll block that date. If you reconsider your plan and do not want to do it anymore, or prefer to eat alone, feel free to tell me anytime, there is no problem at all. I'll check this thread for every new reply.

Note: I only want to eat the pressed duck and will not order other things on their menu.

I am amazed at how people can be attracted to this sort of thing, particularly in view of the price. Yes, if you have more dollars than sense, by all means spend it at such a place.

I am a person of limited means and would never consider spending more on one meal that I would spend on the next 10 meals.

I cannot imagine paying that kind of money for a pressed baby duck. I can make you one here for about 20 €. I suppose it's about the "experience" more than the food, but honestly, that's criminal.

Someone else wrote "I had lunch with duck."
___________
First the duck is pressed. Then it is anthropomorphic. Then it is a criminal. What kind of people are the French?

I can crush a duckling as well as anyone. I don't do a lot of fussy tabletop presentation, though. I'm still astounded at the price.

La Tour d'Argent is a symbol of the french cuisine.
Everybody has heard of it. Whether it is worth the price or not is like whether a Gauguin is worth its price. Certainly not in my mind, clearly yes for some billionaires.

Since I cannot have a painting I can however go to a Michelin starred restaurant.

I have been to 2-3 of the 5 top restaurants in Bruxelles and don't regret the experience.

It was cheaper though... When chez 'bonbon' we paid only 397 € for the 2 of us. A bargain. Was it worth it ? Yes. Do I live better because I went ? No. Should I do it again ? Certainly. But probably not twice the same restaurant.

Hi PT,

As Michael has said, Tour d'Argent is now a 1* resto.

The prices, however, are still 3*.

If you are looking for a dining experience, you have a number of choices of 2 & 3* restos at that price.

If you are looking for pressed duck, there are other places that are equally good, if not better: Maison Rostang, for example.

((I))

I think those astounded by the prices have not seen the ala carte menu at Michelin starred restaurants, especially those with three stars. Even a bistro like L'Ami Louis can be quite expensive. I just had Thomas Keller's fried chicken in Napa last week and while very expensive quite delicious.

I'd much rather go to StCirq's and dine on her pressed duck. No fussy waiters, pretentious presentation, just a good meal and excellent company. For half the price of Tour d'Argent, I could bring several bottles of excellent wine. IMO, a far better evening.

How do you say "sour grapes" in French, eh? :-)

The two best meals I have had in my life were at Taillevent when M. Vrinat was still alive.

When we travel (and at home) we look for value restaurants but set aside money for one splurge restaurant.

They were worth the money. I remember having an extended conversation with a staff member on how they bake their bread.

Ils sont trop verts, dit-il, et bons pour des goujats

but that is not how the fable ends:
Fit-il pas mieux que de se plaindre?

Il faut que je relise Lafontaine je ne le souviens pas de celle-là.

In latin we cours say : de gustibus et coloribus non dispantum est.

Which translates into 'everybody does what he wants with his money as long as he didn't steal it from me'.

These threads are a lot of fun.

Btw you have a restaurant next to maison Rostang where the cooks are trained. Good food good presentation quite normal prices.

historytraveler, you are welcome here anytime. We have ducks galore, and I know how to crush them. Bring the wine on!

The price is indeed sour, but as StCirq said, it's about the "experience" more than the food. I want to learn from it, and I certainly did. I told myself there were restaurants that I must try in my lifetime, for different reasons: Tour d'Argent, Bocuse à Lyon, Azurmendi in Bilbao.

If talking about the food alone, none of the expensive restaurants that I've tried satisfies me. The best dishes are the ones my friends cooked to me.

Bonbon in Bruxelles.

The Peking duck at Guo Min in Belleville is excellent and costs about 10% of the price of the Tour d'Argent. Are you interested more in the food or the setting?