Åke Restaurant
Romantic Retreat
Why is it that we – or maybe it’s just me? – have a tendency to avoid places that are close to us? I have known for a few years that Åke, only a few blocks from where I live, … Read More
Paris
La Datcha Restaurant
Rustic yet Refined
You may be nonplussed by the sight of an occasional bale of hay and upside-down dried reeds hanging over some of the tables (won’t some of those fluffy bits fall onto the plates full of food?), but apparently that’s what … Read More
Argile Restaurant
In Good Time, Good Food
If you go to the restaurant Argile, and I strongly recommend that you do, just don’t arrive 10 minutes before the time of your reservation. On a bitter cold evening, I made that mistake and was rebuffed by a heartless … Read More
Casimir Restaurant
Vive Casimir!
The many fans of Chez Casimir, which I dubbed the “perfect bistro” in my last review, may be dismayed to hear, as I certainly was, that it has been sold yet again (to the owners of Glou, Jaja, Bon Vivant, … Read More
Au Trou Gascon Restaurant
Lighten Up!
The name of this restaurant, Au Trou Gascon, might lead you to expect a nice heavy southwestern meal of foie gras, duck confit, etc., and a decor dominated by red-checkered tablecloths and wood paneling. If that’s what you’re hoping for, … Read More
Pristine Restaurant
Honoring the Humble
There is rarely anything pristine about a restaurant, but even though I found the name to be rather strange, Pristine had good press and was open on Sunday evening, so I headed over to the ninth arrondissement to meet up … Read More
Caluche Restaurant
Bottles Galore
UPDATE: Caluche has been replaced by Balthazar but still has the same chef. When I arrived at Caluche, a pleasant bistro in the fifth arrondissement, I was not disappointed to find that the wild scene depicted in a colorful painting … Read More
Kitchen 32 Restaurant
Japanese Happy Meal
Choosing a restaurant by looking at its facade and peering through the window is usually not a good idea, but I lucked out the other day when I picked Kitchen 32 for dinner with my friend Jean-Michel. I was probably … Read More
Pagaille Restaurant
High Hopes Dashed
It’s rather worrying when the restaurant you plan to eat at is called Pagaille, meaning “chaos,” but I was confident that that was just some kind of ironic private joke on the part of the owners. Pagaille is one of … Read More
Chez Marius Restaurant
Straight to the Heart
Two Italian journalists who live in Paris told me recently that their favorite Italian restaurant in the city was Chez Marius, so it was rather disconcerting to arrive there for dinner only to discover that the bistro in question, located … Read More