Richard Hesse
Les Diables au Thym
Lessons from Across the Channel The meltingly tender pork. The Seven Stars pub in London’s Bloomsbury, just off Lincoln’s Inn Fields and facing the forbidding rear of the Central Law Courts, was founded when the first Queen Elizabeth was still … Read More
Le Villaret
Salt of the Earth It’s not that Le Villaret is hidden away, but it certainly doesn’t get much passing trade, of that I can be certain. You have to want to find this quiet side street in the 11th arrondissement, … Read More
Le Pré Verre
Eating Down Below Al least the basement is brightened with colorful murals. The French trade newspaper L’Hôtellerie Restauration, which advertises such well-known and admired produits du terroir as vacuum-cooked, ready-to-serve poached eggs, ready-made steak tartare preparation, and deep-frozen tutti quanti, … Read More
Mini Palais au Grand Palais
Palatial Treat for The Palate A happy buzz under seahorse-shaped mini-chandeliers. Photo: Paris Update. Be prepared to make a grand entrance when you arrive at the Mini Palais, chef-à-la-mode Gilles Choukroun’s newish restaurant in Paris’s Grand Palais. You first have … Read More
Café Moderne
Postmodern Blues No complaints about the food, but the service was a big negative. Photo: Bestrestaurantsparis.com “Y’all hurry back now” is one of my favorite Americanisms, but is not one we heard or are ever likely to hear at Café … Read More
I Golosi
Gluttony Rewarded Inventive dishes and top-quality ingredients in an enoteca decor. Finding the kind of Italian food in Paris that home-grown Italians would be proud of is no easy task. And I was especially eager to find some after a … Read More
Derya
Turkish Delight One of Derya’s amiable waiters on the run. Sometimes, after a very hard day in the coalmine, going home and making a meal can be quite a challenge. Usually there is at least some pasta, garlic and olive … Read More
Cristal du Sel
Crystal-Clear Memories The smiling chefs keep an eye on the clientele and vice versa. Photo © Paris Update “It is an adult’s duty to remember,” opines the central character in Anita Brookner’s Brief Lives, mourning the loss of “primal spontaneity” … Read More
Restaurant de la Grille
Hats Off! For sheer kitsch, the interior can’t be beat, but the food is freshness itself. The large vases of cut flowers are the first thing you notice when you walk into La Grille, followed by the tiny size of … Read More
Benoit
French Lessons Alain Ducasse may have a few things to teach his fellow Frenchmen about running restaurants. At the root of the word “benoît” is the Latin “benedictus,” which means “blessed” or even “happy.” This is an appropriate name for … Read More