Where to celebrate my wife's birthday in Paris?
 

I am trying to find a charming restaurant with great food and staff near our hotel (Muguet in 7th) so we could walk from the restaurant to our hotel after dinner. I know many of you would recommend Jules Verne but we ate there four times and I hope you will help me with finding something as great but perhaps less expensive. Thank you in advance

Le Violon des Ingres is on rue St. Dominique within easy walking distance.<BR>Just around the corner on LaMotte Picquet is Florimond--an absolutely delightful neighborhood restaurant. Fontaine de Mars is also on St. Dominique--excellent.<BR>Les Olivades is a wonderful Provencal restuarant--I would have to look up the address but it is near also.

Hi,<BR><BR>I just spent six months in Paris and for my birthday, my fiance took me to a fabulous restaurant that has two Michelin stars attached to its name according to the 2001 Michelin guide. It's in the 6th but you could easily stroll there. It's called Relais Louis XIII, and is located at 8, rue Grands Augustins. Telephone number from Paris is 01 43 26 75 96. From outside of France, dial 33 0 43 26 75 96. <BR><BR>It's pricey but worth every penny. We had the ten course tasting menu. Once in a lifetime treat. Reservations are required, book early.<BR><BR>The other recommendation i would have for you would be to buy a Michelin Guide, called Le Guide Rouge, and use it to guide your decision. It lists restaurants with a wide range of price points, so you can find places that aren't too pricey but that provide excellent food, service and ambiance. I used my book while i was there and I was never disappointed. It's worth the investment and an excellent guide to restaurants in Paris and throughout France. The listings in Paris are by arrondisement, which is also helpful.<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR>Carolyn

Les Olivades is wonderful, but very specifically provencal.<BR><BR>I'd also recommend La Fonatine de Mars on rue St-Dominique -- ask for upstairs -- tell them it's a special event -- I've always foudn the wait staff there wonderful. It's not *starred*, but the food is both traditional and inventive.

Carolyn, we too have eaten at the Relais Louis and agree, it is great! I never seem to see it mentioned, perhaps it is a secret so it won't get too busy?<BR>Sean~~~~~~~<BR>I would recommend,from my experiences-D'Chex Eux, on the ave de Lowendale,near the Eiffel Tower, the service is wonderful, they practically tuck you in and feed you themselves!And the food is wonderful!<BR>Les Olivades is at 41 rue Segur tel# 47 837009-the chef is a young lady from Provence,great food.<BR>Le Violin D'Ingres is fantastick but it is on the pricey side..135 rue St Doninique <BR>and I second Relais Louis 13,at 8 rue Grandes Autustines..the restaurant is wonderful and the neighborhood is perfect for walking around after,and you are just blocks from the Seine, so you can walk along there,safely at night,ahhh tres Romantic :)<BR>Have a wonderful time..candice

There were two restaurants that I absolutely loved in the 7th. The first one was Leo le Lion. It's on rue Duvivier, between Rue Champs de Mars and Rue De La Motte Piquet, tel 45 51 38 77. This was a small, charming restaurant with food to die for. Make reservations. The other was Cafe le Bosquet. This was not as beautifully decorated, but the food was also very good and the staff was great. It's at 46 avenue Bosquet, tel 45 51 38 13.

Not sure if your wife's birthday has come and gone already - but I do have a great suggestion! Last year when we were staying at the Muguet, my husbnad took me to a wonderful Italian restaurant that was just around the corner - I can't remember the street but the restuarant was called "Gildo". It was my birthday and they treated us like royalty. Incredible pasta and fish dishes - we let them feed us as opposed to ordering off the menu and it was fantastic. Not touristy, lots of locals, the chef was very friendly and interested in talking to us about Canada. As an aside - we had gotten the recommendation from the concierge at Hotel Crillon. We were booked to have dinner at a restaurant near the Louvre but there was a transit strike and after setting out from the Muguet in the pouring rain we found we couldn't get to our reservation on time - so we stopped in at the Tattinger Champagne lounge in the Crillon and had a glass of bubbly while deciding what to do. When we asked the concierge for a restaurant near the Muguet he pulled "Gildo" out of his roladex. The evening was perfect - I'm sure your wife would enjoy it as much as I did (and it wasn't as expensive as Jules Verne by a long shot). <BR>

Thanks for the great reviews of Relais Louis XIII. We are going there next week and I kind of just picked the restaurant after a little research without speaking to anyone who had eaten there. Now we are really looking forward to our dinner there!