Richard Hesse

Richard Hesse, another long-time Paris resident, is a translator by day and a serial diner by evening. He also likes to lunch. He is joined in these activities by his Scottish terrier, Bertie the Gastrohound, and his girlfriend, Doctor Madame, a London-based freelance historian.

Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée

March 15, 2011 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée.   For my last review for Paris Update for the foreseeable future, my editor treated me royally to the only Alain Ducasse restaurant in Paris (apart from the Jules Verne) that I hadn’t yet tried: … Read More

MBC

March 8, 2011 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Chef Gilles Choukroun chats with a customer in front of his new decor by graffiti artist Da Cruz. When I reviewed MBC a couple of years ago, shortly after it opened, I ended the piece by saying I’d gladly go … Read More

Les Côtelettes, La Régalade, Wen Zhou

February 15, 2011 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Les Côtelettes: good food and comforting, friendly ambiance. Editor’s note: Les Côtelettes has since closed, but La Régalade and Wen Zhou are still going strong. I often wonder how gastronomy guides keep up. Not the Michelin, of course, with its … Read More

Le Baratin

February 8, 2011 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Le Baratin may very well be the ideal bistro. Photo © ParisUpdate.com   Pros: Great, generous food; real atmosphere Cons: You really, really need to book ahead. All through dinner, my date and I were kicking ourselves for not having … Read More

Le Dauphin

February 1, 2011 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Every dish at Le Dauphin is superbly executed and presented. Photo: ParisUpdate.com Pros: Great food, good wine list Cons: Noisy, cold interior, space at a premium I like marble. I do. A lot. It’s supposed to be cooler than the … Read More

L’Epicuriste

January 11, 2011 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

A smiling welcome, lots of space and fine food make L’Epicuriste worth the trip to off-the-beaten-track Paris. Photo: ParisUpdate.com Pros: Space, lovely staff, good take on bistro food Cons: Odd location (but decent Métro connection) Location is all, they say. … Read More

L’Ami Jean

With Friends like These...

December 12, 2010 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Pros: Excellent food Cons: Grossly overcrowded space, unpleasant staff, rushed service L’Ami Jean is one of those places that gets talked about a great deal, which is why I have held off going there. When yet another glowing review popped … Read More