Which Michelin Star restaurant?
 

Ok last restaurant question I promise. My husband wants to eat at a restaurant with some stars. I'm perfectly contented with the typical 30 euro meal at a bistro, but hubby is curious to see if stars mean anything.n. Can you recommend such restaurants that we might try for lunch and which you all think are worth the stars. I've read good things about Auberge de L'ille.

Where in France will you be traveling? And are you talking about 1*, 2*, or 3* restaurants?

Yes, stars do mean something. One-star restaurants have exceptionally good food and are pleasant places to eat, often featuring regional cuisine. At a two-star the menu is broader and the setting and food presentations more elaborate. A three-star restaurant offers the finest cuisine and service.

In general, we prefer the one-star restaurants because the food and the ambience are very good without being rarefied.

In Paris, Guy Savoy gets many high recommendations. It's a 3*. Taillevent, another 3*, also has many fans.

Outside of Paris, the 2* Boyer Les Crayères continues to draw raves; it's in Reims. In Burgundy the 3* Georges Blanc is wonderful.

There are so many....

Lenora,
If you need further convincing about l'Auberge, type in illhaeusern on the Euro forum.
M

We'll be in Paris for a week starting day after tomorrow! Aug. 11-19. I'd be interested in 1-2 star restaurants.

If you are eating lunch you might find that the fixed price offerings at the Michelin 3 stars are not that much more expensive than the 1 or 2 stars.
Check the latest Michelin guide for prices and specialties of the house. Would consider Lucas Carton, Grand Vefour, Le Cinq, Pierre Gagnaire and Taillevent for 3 stars. Carre des Feuillants, Bristol, and Jamin for 2 stars. Jules Verne, Helene Darroze, and Au trou Gascon for 1 stars.

I recommend Pre Catalan in the Bois de Boulogne just outside Paris. The closest metro stop is Porte Maillot but you will probably find it more convenient to take a taxi back and forth.

I think it had 2 stars the last time I checked, but that could have changed. Great place no matter how many stars. They have a fixed price lunch during the week which could save you some money if you go then.

There's always the 2* Jules Verne--good food with a view, but you have to reserve fairly far in advance, although lunch is easier to schedule.

Under the category of "can't recommend" I would avoid Jacques Cagnas - despite the fact it was my first ever Michelin starred experience and it was wonderful (then) a recent meal was quite disappointing and not "worth a detour" (as the 2 stars promise)

Just a minor comment -- I think that Jules Verne has one *.

I had lunch at Le Cinq (which is the restaurant at George V). I thought that it was fine. I think that it was about 300 Euros for 2 with a glass of wine and champagne each. But honestly I'm not sure if it was worth the 300 Euros. The chef (Legendre) was ex-chef at Taillevent. That's extent of my Michelin experience.

I was looking at my Michelin Red Guide and Meurice gets a good review (it's the restaurant at the hotel with the same name). It's a one *. Can't recall if that's been recommended here. Hiramatsu also sounds very interesting (also one *).

Oh, I just reread part of the thread. Maybe you're gone already? Aug. 11 - 19? A lot of these restaurants are closed anyway. Le Cinq should be open, I think, because it's in a hotel. The Red Guide will list restaurants open in August.

To make your decision a little easier, you will *not* be able to get a reservation at the following restaurants because they'll be closed during your trip (according to the 2004 Michelin red guide and apologies in advance for any typos or mistakes in number of stars):
1 star: Au Pressoir, Au Trou Gascon, Montparnasse 25, Relais de Sevres, Le Duc, Chiberta, Copenhague, L'Angle du Faubourg, Pergolese, Table de Baltimore, Les Muses, Luna, La Maree, Drouant, Benoit, Celadon, Petrossian, Jacques Cagna, Vin sur Vin, Bellecour, Petrossian, Chamarre
2 star: Carre des Feuillants, Relais Louis XIII, Lasserre, Jamin, Le Divillac, Relais d'Auteuil (our favorite), Tour d'Argent, Apicius,
3 star: Le Grand Vefour, Guy Savoy, L'Ambroisie, Ledoyen, Alain Ducasse, Taillevent, Lucas Carton

Elizabeth, my 2004 guide gives Jacques Cagna only 1 star, not two. Did it have two when you were there?

I think Jacques Cagna got demoted in the 2004 Michelin guide.

Does it HAVE to be a starred restaurant? I think you would have a great time and a fine meal at Au Petit Marguery, a restaurant that always bubbles with contented clients having a good time.

I was looking at BT's list again, and L'Arpege is not on it. Does this mean that it's open in August?

I've read a lot of good things about it. It has 3 stars, but it's vegetarian. I just can't see myself spending a couple of hundred on a vegetarian meal, but it could be interesting. Has someone actually been there?

How about a romantic dinner in the garden courtyard of the Royal Monceau Hotel?

Hi 1110P, yes I believe Arpege is open (weekdays only).

Sorry, RonZ, the two restaurants in Royal Monceau (le Jardin and Carpaccio) are also closed :-(
Re Arpege, I think it still carries non-vegetarian dishes. I remember an interview with the chef saying he wants to keep seafood on the menu and also maybe a chicken dish.

Thanks BT. I was curious and started looking at the menu online, then realized that L'Arpege was not really vegetarian. Started a Google search which led me to this old thread here:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...name=richarddd

I ate at Helene Darozze in Feb. 2003. It actually has 2 stars now. The food was excellent, the service was spotty. So was my chair! Spotty, or stained, that is.

One of my good friends had the good fortune to cook as an apprentice at L'Arpege a few years ago. She highly recommended it, then, and it was only a 1 star at that time.

L'Arpege seems like a *really* expensive restaurant -- I find it interesting that the menu online doesn't list any prices.

By the way, 1110P, go to www.xpats.com and check out the answers to the question of the week, Is Belgium a good place to invest in property? There's a lot of rubbish in the answers (there is ALWAYS a lot of rubbish in the xpats.com polls), but you might enjoy seeing them anyway.
Sorry everybody else for going OT!!

Hey, thanks! Which reminds me -- did you ever resend the e-mail? I don't think that I ever got it. Maybe you've some words of wisdom there I should read. :-) No big deal of course. I'll check out the link you gave.

I don't know when I'll get to go to Brussels again though. But well, it's just a couple of hours away. :-) I'll be in Paris for a long weekend (arrive Sept. 4 and leave Sept. 6).