La Parisienne Bistro in Richmond VA. Recommended or not?
 

We'll be in Richmond in the fall to attend a wedding. We'll be staying downtown. Is anyone familiar with La Parisienne Bistro? Should I nab this Groupon offer or pass it by? Would appreciate your input.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/la-pari...7-b3bf6232962a

I have never heard of it and am very familiar with the Richmond restaurant scene.

Where downtown will you be staying?

Hi, Janet. I was hoping you'd report in. I know you're up to date on dining venues!

We're staying at the Holiday Inn Express on East Cary (one of the designated wedding hotels) on points, then at the Marriott Residence Inn West on Dickens Road (also with points) for two nights. Wedding is in Maymont Part, reception is at the Bull and Bear Club.

My graduate degree is from VCU, and I worked in Henrico County for a few years before moving to the SF Bay area, so I'm somewhat familiar with Richmond in the 1970s.

Also thinking about Can Can based on the fact that it has been mentioned here and a friend who was visiting Richmond recently recommended it.

You will be close to many things (can't really help you with the Dickens Road area as last time I was in that area Clinton was probably president...lol).

Downtown, we love Comfort, Lemaire at The Jefferson (at least go for cocktails) and Edo's Squid. In the Fan district along with CanCan in Carytown, Viceroy and Deco (both relatively new) are very good.

You also can't go wrong with old Richmond standards, like Millie's.

Under the mundane...I went to Henrico County schools in the 1970's :-)

Thanks for the information, Janet. You're my "go-to" Fodorite for all things Richmond.

BTW, which Henrico County school did you attend?

I went to Skipwith Elem, Tuckahoe Middle and Tucker High.

Another recommendation would be Stella's off Monument on Lafayette.

I haven't heard of it it her, and we eat out at least twice a week during the four or five months we spend in Richmond each year. I agree with Janet.

Lemaire's is probably the most beautiful restaurant in the city and has excellent food at steep prices.

I think the best food I have eaten in Richmond was at Peter Chang's, but it is very specialized Szechuan Chinese. Edo's Squid is fantastic, but it is up steep stairs and you enter through what feels like a janitor's closet. I cant wait to go back.

Stella's is excellent, though always packed. You will absolutely need reservations for these places, especially if you are more than a couple. We like Comfort, though we are displaced Southerners. Our Northern friends thought it was " meh" and our British friends actively disliked the tastes and texture combinations.

Our last week in Richmond this Spring, we took our granddaughters and their parents to Max's on Broad, and enjoyed it a lot. Service was excellent and though we were surrounded by municipal bond guys in suits, they tolerated a five year old in a Minnie Mouse outfit just fine. Her nine year old sister enjoyed the moules frites, then helped her mom with her grilled octopus. She learned to eat mouse frites at Can Can, also a good choice.

The only "good" restaurant where I have had a really bad experience was Rappahannock. We were very disappointed because their casual place, Merroir, up on the Rivah is wonderful.

Thanks for chiming in, Ackislander. Looks as if we'll be well fed in Richmond. We'll avoid Rappahannock but may look into Merroir.

Peter Chang lords over Richmond. The King of Cumin hails from Hubei province, right next to Szechuan. He has similar restaurants in Charlottesville VA & Va Beach & Fredericksburg VA. Fried Eggplant appetizer is a fine start. Read his accolades in The New York Times, The Oxford American & The New Yorker.