The decor could be cooler at Chalbens, but the welcome couldn’t have been warmer. Pros: sincere, solid food; romantic atmosphere; impeccable service Cons: off-the-beaten-Métro track; cuisine and atmosphere lacking in edge Okay, I am no Anthony Bourdain, who ventures to … Read More
Pros: charming interior, high-level cuisine, judicious mix of genres, fine selection of sake and wine, highly attentive service Cons: no natural wines, rather expensive, unremarkable dessert It seems like everyone in Paris has been talking about Kunitoraya II, piquing … Read More
Pros: hearty, unpretentious food; great, crusty bread; big wine list; warm ambiance Cons: cooking times need attention After a stroll through Paris’s Parc des Buttes Chaumont on a recent Indian summer evening, a friend and I were wondering where we … Read More
After a few months of life in a lively university town on the south coast of England, I was distracted by the siren call of Paris and decided, not entirely unwillingly, to heed it (and the request of my editor … Read More
Pros: Fun, cozy, foodie-friendly, great service Cons: None I dined at Les Petits Plats on the same day that I lunched at Septime – yes, it’s a hard life – and loved them both for different reasons. Septime is hip, … Read More
Pros: Eccentric atmosphere, ample portions Cons: Limited seating, solo service After several misses, we found the place: a doll-sized Japanese restaurant nestled on a hill between the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and Belleville. Ducking through the split noren curtains, we entered … Read More
The stark interior of Septime, in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Pros: Original ideas; delightful flavor pairings; fresh, high-quality ingredients Cons: Can be noisy I went to Septime knowing nothing at all about it, taken there by a friend whose friend’s daughter … Read More
Chef Christian Etchebest’s justly popular Cantine du Troquet. Pros: super-fresh, high-quality ingredients; friendly, efficient service; lively ambiance Cons: noisy, TV screen At Basque chef Christian Etchebest’s lively and popular La Cantine du Troquet the other night, my dining companion and … Read More
L’Agrume, in Paris’s fifth arrondissement, lives up to the highest culinary standards. Pros: fresh, quality food; an elegant, price-delivering menu Cons: expensive à la carte, slightly off-the-beaten track Paris’s fifth arrondissement doesn’t offer many thrilling eateries unless one ventures slightly … Read More
The decor of many colors is not to everyone’s taste. Pros: Delightful, original cuisine; charming service; great wine pairings Cons: Decor needs work In many ways, Le Tintilou is still a work in progress – chef-owner Jean-François Renard took over … Read More
