Which one-star Michelin restaurant would you recommend?
 

We will be in Paris next year, would like to treat ourselves to a "starred" Michelin restaurant. We are generally easy to please but if we were going to splurge I would like to have you Fodorites' recommendation as one really worth it. We will be staying in the Marais.

There are so many great restaurants, it's hard to recommend one. I'll mention 3 of my favorites:
-Les Ambassadeurs, in the 8th Arr.
-Grande Cascade,in the 16th Arr.
-L'Espadon, in the first Arr.

These are all truly splendid places for a splurge meal. Your choice might boil down to location or to type of cuisine. Good luck.

If you visit this website, viamichelin.com, you can get a list of the starred Michelin restaurants with locations, decor, type of cuisine and - gulp - price.

I usually opt out when a dinner for two exceeds the airfare from Boston to Paris.

Hi Laurie,

What do you consider to be a "splurge"? We have eaten in many 1* places in Paris for less than lesser ones at home.

I think laurie ann means one Michelin star, rather than one star in a guidebook or elsewhere.
I'm not aware of any restaurants with one Michelin star that are budget bargains.

Yes, elaine, 1 Michelin star. I didn't mean "budget", but certainly "moderate".

Bellecour 22 r. surcoff in the 7th is a
michelin 1 star that is very reasonable. Current MG has the price at 40 Euros. That is for a multi-course complete dinner and includes tax and tip. I have eaten there and loved it. I have friends in Paris who eat there frequently. We will be going to Paris in January and it is at the top of our list.

Most one-starred Michelin restaurants in Paris are about 75-100 euro per person for dinner, on up. I wouldn't call that moderate myself, but I guess we all have different standards in that regards. I think the Bellecour mentioned above may be about the cheapest of their one-star restaurants, so why not (that is what I'd call moderate). However, if one really wants to splurge, that may not feel that different from a lot of other restaurants.

I haven't eaten in one of these, but I think two that are frequently commented on her are Astrance and the Jules Verne. The Astrance is cheaper, I think. One could search for comments on that one. The Jules Verne is the whole tower view experience, along with the dinner (and is probably more expensive).

Try Drouant. I think it still has 1 star--we ate there several years ago and it was very good. Not at the level of the top Michelin restaurants, but very good and fairly reasonable, considering.

Le Bellecour on rue Surcouf -- Highly recommended. For reference, my wife and are "foodies" and have eaten at some very nice restaurants, including a Michellin 3*.

On Nov 12, 2003: The 4 course meal was 44 euros. I added 20 euro for the foie gras entree. In addition to the entree, plat, fromage (which included a small salad, too), and dessert, they give you an amuse bouchee to start and a "baby" creme brulee between the plat and fromage courses. There's also a basket of perfectly baked rolls on the table. So, not counting wine, two people can have a very ample and delicious meal for 88 euro (inclusive).

In summary, we had a very good meal; warm, professional service; and the price was surprisingly modest for a 1-star. The setting is small (about 10 tables) and warm -- soft washed yellow walls set the tone.

The staff spoke English well enough for us to have helpful conversations about various dishes and the wine list. Dress is "dressy casual" (for men, a dressy sweater, a sport coat and turtle neck, or a suit would all be fine; for women, dressy pants and sweater or a nice dress would be fine).

In more detail: Entrees -- The "Poele de cepes au foie gras chaud" was as good as any foie gras I've had. It was really incredible -- perfect seared outside and just above rare, pudding-textured inside. (Of course, you have to like foie gras this way!) The "Salade champere du Bellecour" was a very good, interesting salad of greens, unusually "juicy" sun-dried tomatoes, a vegetable "pate", and small pieces of foie gras.

Plats -- The "Quenelle de brochet maison" (one of their signature dishes)was exceptional -- perfect texture, delicate flavor in the quenelle and the sauce was complex and intense. The "Saint-Jacques poelees, pommes croquettes, creme douce aux coquillages" was decent, but not up to the level of the rest of the dinner. Certainly not a memorable dish to mark eating at a 1-star dinner in Paris.

Fromage: The cheese was a creamy, rich St. Verain (I think) with a small side salad dressed with a decent, but not exceptional mustard vinegarette and some cooked, sweetened cranberries.

Dessert: The "Fleur d'orange au Grand-Marnier" desert was beautifully presented and also delicious. The Souffle chaud au chocolat was perfectly cooked and was a complex, delicate blend of chocolate flavors -- not overdone, like so many chocolate desserts these days.

Their wine list offered some good, sensibly-priced selections of half bottles, which let us enjoy a Sauterne with the foie gras, Chablis premier cru with the entrees, Meursault premier cru with the poissons, and a Macon and Tawny Port afterwards.

Total tab was $185 euros.

Definitely get reservations. Not so much because there won't be an available table if you just show up, but I noted that people with reservations (naturally) got better tables and were welcomed a bit more warmly for having the courtesy to call ahead.

Goodness,

150E per person is a pricey 1 star. You can lunch at taillevent (fixe prix) for 70E.

http://www.taillevent.com/frameset.h..._4&1&5

Amendment to previous post. My cat got at the keyboard.

That should have been 150E for two persons.

Thanks for a detailed review, pconte! I was considering Le Bellecour for one of the dinners in January, and now feel much more confident about going there (we will only have time for 3 dinners in Paris).