alohatoall

We're spending the first week of May in Paris, and I'd love some feedback on the following restaurants from anyone who's been fairly recently: Pre Verre, Petit Pontoise, l'Equitable, Clos des Gourmet, Au Bon Accueil, Baracane, Au C'Amelot, and Timbre. The one unifying thread is that they all are reasonably priced with excellent reviews in recent articles or on different "foodie" web sites. Many thanks in advance.

StCirq

I used to love Au Bon Accueil, but I took some friends there a couple of years ago and was really disappointed. Maybe it was just a bad night, but the food was overcooked and barely warm and the attitude of the waiters certainly did not live up to the title of the restaurant. I haven't been back since. Maybe others who've been in the last two years will have better things to say about it.

Underhill

I've read comments about Au Bon Accueil to the same effect on the bp site.

maitaitom

We loved Le Clos des Gourmets when we ate there a couple of years ago. It still seems to get good reviews and the price was terrific.

alohatoall

I've been esp. curious about le Petit Pontoise and Pre Verre after reading about them in the New York Times and was hoping a "real person" had eaten there recently. Thanks again.

Maribel

alohatoall,
Le Clos des Gourmets is truly lovely in all respects-ambience, cuisine, service. One of our top choices in the 7th. We love everything about it, and what a tony location! It's great people watching too. The '04 menu for a mid-week lunch is 27 and dinner only 30 euros.

We haven't been to Au Bon Accueil for 2 yrs. (although Laura Bush apparently has...). We enjoyed it very much then, but recent reports have been mixed, although it still receives a high food rating in the '04 French food guides.

We had a January lunch at Les Amognes in the 11th because Au C'Amelot was closed during the holidays, but it was high on our list, as it gets high ratings in all the French and English Parisian food guides. The menu goes for 26 euros, great value. It's included in the "Best Tables in Paris for less than 35 euros". We have it tops on our list for our next trip.

I've heard lots of fine reports about Le Timbre, but we couldn't fit it in.

Le Pre Verre is very hot, very reasonably priced, very "in" (but zero decor).

Baracane is an old staple for copious southwestern cuisine. Same owners as L'Oulette. Ger recommended it to us here, and she was right on the mark. Handy for touring the Marais and adjacent to the Place des Voges, Lunch "menu" for 14, dinner "menu" for 25.

alohatoall

Thanks to all. Maribel, les Amognes was also on the list, along with la Dinée, but I've got to draw the line somewhere -- we'll only be in Paris one week, and I'll probably cook a couple of nights myself. We rent an apt. in the 5th which is why I'm perhaps a bit more interested in restaurants there, but we're definitely going to Les Clos des Gourmets and also to Baracane for lunch. Many thanks, Aloha

Maribel

Aloha,
Bon Appetit! You have excellent taste, by the way, in restaurants!

alohatoall

Thanks again, Maribel -- could it be that perhaps we share the same taste in restaurants!!! I forgot to ask about le Reminet, which was great the first time we went soon after it opened, and not so good the next time. Any recent experience? And has anyone heard about any personal experiences at l'Equitable?

Maribel

alohatoall,
I think we do indeed share the same tastes in restaurants!
I haven't been to Le Reminet in a while. The last meal there we really enjoyed (sitting upstairs), as much for the personal warmth of the chef, his great wine suggestion and the background jazz music
that he really cranked up at the end of the evening as for the dinner itself. Wouldn't make my top 5 chef owned bistros of those we've tried, but worth repeating. We actually tried to dine there again in Jan., but they were closed for the post Xmas-New Years period.

alohatoall

Okay, you've whetted my appetite, so to speak! What are your top 5 chef-owned bistros, Maribel?

alohatoall

ttt, for Maribel.

Maribel

Hi alohatoall,
While we're still eating out way through the Hamburgers' Bistros of Paris and Paris by Bistro, and have a long "to do " list of chef owned bistros and satellite, "baby" bistros (spin offs by celebrated chefs like Guy Savoy), so far these are the top 5 (all with "menus" under 32 euros):

Le Clos des Gourmets
Le Pamphlet
L'Os à Moelle
Les Amognes
Le Repaire de Cartouche tied with L;Affriolé

I've left out some favorites in the 7th like Le Florimond and Fontaine de Mars because they're just very nice, comfortable, dependable places that we like to return to again and again.

Of the satellite bistros we've tried,
Les Bookinistes or Les Bouquinistes (as I think it's now spelled since William Ledeuil left). But Aux Lyonnaise will probably win out when and if we ever snag a reservation there.

These are on our "to do" list:

Chez Michel, Au Tros Gascon, Le Villaret, L'Anacréon, Flora, Clos Morillons, La Table de Lucullus, Les Ormes, Tire Bouchon, Auberge Pyrénées-Cévennes, Stéphane Martin.

I'd love feedback on any of the above, so as to either shorten the list, or maybe even make it more impossbily long!

capribird

I was in Paris for two weeks in Feb.and had lunch twice at Petit Pointoise.The food was very good.The daily plat was priced at 10euro and included a glass of wine.It is quite small,I would suggest reservations,it is filled with locals.Everyone's various dishes also looked great.

alohatoall

Thanks to all for the help. We'll definitely try les Clos des Gourmets and le Petit Pontoise, which is just a few blocks from our apt. If we go to any on your list, Maribel, I'll let you know -- I'm pretty sure we'll try au C'Amelot. Again, mahalo and aloha.

LaMarquise

I had lunch at Pre Verre last month. It was excellent, both food and value. In addition to the regular 25 euro prix-fixe there's a daily lunch "formule" - either entree & plat or plat & dessert. The price was 12 euros including a glass of wine. The portions are copious and the chef shows the same originality with judicious but definitive seasoning as he did at Le Clos Morillons. I wouldn't say the decor is charming, it's very simple and straightforward but quite a pleasant feeling. The restaurant is positioned for considerable turnover so the service is brisk but quite aimiable. A large portion of the clientele are already regulars who come for lunch or dinner, or both, multiple times weekly, so reservations are imperative. If you think you're likely to go let me know and I'll give you details on the specific dishes we tasted.

alohatoall

I'd love to hear the details, LaMarquise, since it sounds like a great place for lunch.

LaMarquise

Alohatoall -There were 3 of us at Pre Verre. All 3 of the entrees (to use the french meaning of that greatly abused word) were formidable. They were: coquilles St. Jacques a la citronelle; Thon mi-cuit au sesame; Salade d'encornets a la coriandre (seed not leaf) et lentilles. The 3 "plats" were: Filet de canard fruits secs et tamarin, very good but the other 2 main courses were better. They were: Tete de veau croustillant, excellent and a sensational Cochon de lait aux epices, chou croquant. Desserts were: Truffade de chocolat glace melasse (yeah, molasses)a nice combo; Creme brulee au carvi - loved this, the rye seeds in the creme are a brilliant idea; lastly: Poires confite glace a l'huile d'olive - with pieces of olives in the ice cream, very nice but the creme brulee was a clear winner.I don't know if the menu changes daily or weekly, so I guess there's no guarantee that any of them will be available. I'll be in Paris in about a week and will be trying 2 places new to us, which I haven't found mentioned in this group of comments. If either is worthy, I'll report here. We'll be going to Pre Verre again, this time for dinner, and I'll certainly comment again if there are any changes in my call on this one.

minimn

Sounds fabulous! Address for Pre Verre, please?

LaMarquise

Pre Verre-- #8, Rue Thenard in the heart of the Latin Quarter (5th arr.)
Tel No= 01-43-54-59-47. Rue Thenard runs for all of 2 blocks between St. Germain and Rue des Ecoles and is parallel to Rue St. Jacques. Its location explains why so much of the clientele consists of professors at the Sorbonne. It's a great neighborhood.