Simonin

May 3, 2010 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Fancy dishes but little atmosphere and ill-fitting, Trekkie-like waiters’ uniforms. Do you look at your waiter at a restaurant? Do you check out how he or she is dressed? Does it matter? My answers to the first two questions would … Read More

Clémentine

April 20, 2010 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Old-timey comfort and good, fresh food. Pros: Fresh vegetables, well-chosen wines, pleasant atmosphere.Cons: None to speak of. Attentive readers will have noticed a second arrondissement bias in my recent reviews, and this one is no exception: I’ve been checking out … Read More

La Closerie des Lilas

April 6, 2010 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Every struggling American writer on the way to a date with destiny has passed through the Closerie. Places associated with literary figures… hmm. The Deux Magots will forever bring to mind Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, but one can’t … Read More

Autour d’un Verre

March 30, 2010 | By Paris Update | Archive

Regulars help themselves to a glass from the mismatched set. This unusual restaurant is easier to define by what it is not. It has no trendy (or otherwise) decor, no arty food presentations, no flashy service. And yet it is … Read More

Glou

March 2, 2010 | By Paris Update | Archive

Great value for money at 10 euros less. Photo: patricklazic.com Glou is one of those trendy restaurants that takes pride in letting you know where each of the precious ingredients on the menu comes from. This has become tedious, but … Read More

Shan Goût

February 23, 2010 | By Paris Update | Archive

Sharing is a good idea at Shan Goût. Photo by John Talbott This pocket-sized Chinese restaurant, lost in a little side street near the Gare de Lyon, is definitely worth a detour from your usual gastronomic route. The dining room … Read More

Chez Grenouille

February 9, 2010 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

You won’t find nouvelle cuisine at Chez Grenouille. Pros: solid winter fare, excellent products, the restaurateur’s justified pride in his work. Cons: colorless decor The walk from my second arrondissement office up to Chez Grenouille in the ninth was longer … Read More

Le Concert de Cuisine

February 2, 2010 | By Paris Update | Archive

Foie gras terrine and eel teriyaki with sansho spices, done up to look like an exquisite cake. Photo © Darren Palmer When you enter this small restaurant, the first indication that it’s Japanese comes from the unmistakable accent of the … Read More

Benoît, Rech, Aux Lyonnais

January 26, 2010 | By Richard Hesse | Archive

Aux Lyonnais has a traditional bistro ambiance. The big news on the food front today (there are more important things happening in the world) is that El Bulli, five times rated the world’s best restaurant, will be closed in 2012 … Read More

L’Ecailler du Bistrot

January 19, 2010 | By Paris Update | Archive

Everything on the heaping seafood platter is fresh from the brine. If you have a craving for fresh seafood, L’Ecailler du Bistrot is a sure bet. Everything they serve comes straight from the French coast. Gwenaelle Cadoret, who runs the … Read More