Saturne
Saturne is as good as all the reviewers have been saying. Pros: Great food, nice space Cons: Noisy Saturne has been an instant hit. I overheard J.P. Gené, food writer for Le Monde, mention its opening on a Tuesday a … Read More
Paris restaurant
Spring
Chef/owner Daniel Rose garnishes dishes at his restaurant Spring, now reopened in the first arrondissement. Pros: Great food, good service, plenty of space, attractive decor. Cons: Slight problem with the kitchen cleaning arrangements and, snob that I am, location: the … Read More
Le Louchébem
Carving the slabs of roast meat at Le Louchébem. Photo © ParisUpdate.com Vegetarians should look away now. Le Louchébem is all about meat, and mostly about beef. Its signature dish is l’assiette du rôtisseur: three giant slabs carved off smoking … Read More
Americophilia in Paris restaurants
The salade pastilla de poulet at the Café du Marché on the Rue de Bretagne in the Upper Marais. A wave of Americophilia seems to have hit Paris lately. Every restaurant popular with thirtyish trendies now has a hamburger (pronounced … Read More
Café de la Nouvelle Mairie
A great place for an enjoyable, torture-free evening with friends. Pros: Good organic wines, great vibe. Cons: Food could be improved on, too many wines to taste at one sitting. It would be difficult to get any closer to the … Read More
Clémentine
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
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
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
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
Chez Grenouille
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