Richard Hesse
Café Artcurial
Café Artcurial’s new decor is by Gilles et Boissier. When I emerged from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Métro station, the first thing I saw in front of me was a Mirage jet fighter being installed in the forecourt of the … Read More
Chez Catherine
Great value for money at 10 euros less. Pros: Good-quality, well-cooked food; pleasant, quiet atmosphere; no space problems. Cons: Prices a bit high. Chez Catherine has taken a bit of stick from the reviewers in recent weeks, and in a … Read More
Angl’Opéra
Inspired Kitchen, Wonky Service Inventive chef Gilles Choukroun gets the food right. Dining with a friend the other evening at Louis Vins, I was forcibly reminded how hit-and-miss table service can be. The otherwise delightful young lady serving us managed … Read More
25° Est
Moonstruck Dining The rooftop terrace overlooking the Bassin de la Villette and the Ledoux building. It wasn’t about the food, which was fine. The magical evening my companion and I spent at 25° Est (25 Degrees East) had (apart from … Read More
Alfred
Life After (Electoral) Death The cheerful dining room has a clubby feel. Q: What do you do when you get bumped off the European Parliament gravy train after losing an election? A: Open your own restaurant. This is exactly what … Read More
Les Saveurs de Flora
A Flora by Any Other Name… The decor is unabashedly girly. The best things about Les Saveurs de Flora are the food, the wine list, the decor and the staff. It has its oddities, of which more later, but it’s … Read More
Le Clarisse
Welcome Aboard A decor designed to impress. As the politicians say (or sometimes neglect to say), I have to confess to a possible conflict of interest. I went to Le Clarisse with a long-time friend who is a distant cousin … Read More
Le Pamphlet
Le Pamphlet seems to exist in a time warp, and it’s all for the best. THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED Remember Back to the Future? The Time Machine? All those “What might happen?” sci-fi stories about the imagined paradoxes of … Read More
Velly/Villa Victoria
For the Love of Tradition Chef Alain Brigant named his restaurant after his great-grandfather. Note (Dec. 31, 2007): Velly has changed owners and is now called Villa Victoria, but apparently has the same chef. Watch this space for an updated … Read More
Spring & L’Ardoise Gourmande
A lobster dish at L’Ardoise Gourmande. Spring is specializing in lobster rolls for the summer. This past week I have been back to a couple of places whose praises I’ve sung in the past: Spring and L’Ardoise Gourmande. It’s a … Read More