Trip report!
Tours: did not have a noteworthy meal here. We were in the car from 10AM to 6.30PM, feasting on sandwiches, snickers, and previous day leftovers, so when we arrived we were not that hungry. Plus we wanted to take things easy on our first day, knowing that we would be eating a lot over the next week. Maybe a shame, because I liked Maison Colbert and in hindsight the attractive prices, Michelin recognition, and friendly vibe should have offered us a good experience.
Bordeaux/Aquitaine: lunch in Bordeaux. Like previous times here, just picked a random restaurant that was busy, full with locals, and had a nice menu. Ended up at Le Parlement des Graves. Great for a lunch: just good, straightforward food. 3 course menu for 20 euro something.
Branne: Le Caffe Cuisine. It’s really a great place: in the heart of the wine area, country side, but feels like a hip restaurant in some mid-size city. Good people watching, nice atmosphere. The standout dishes were the entrees (first courses), e.g. the foie gras. As an appetiser we got in-season petit pois.
We also had a very good meal at our chambre d’hote, where we had dinner with two other couples (from Portugal). Confit de canard with roast potatoes was excellent.
Perigord: proper duck country! We had two good meals in Domme. Three course local menu at Cabanoix et Chataigne. Really nice food, standout dishes were their desserts. That apple crumble was to die for! Another great place we found in Domme was Pizzeria des Templiers - the pizza was actually good. Better than in most places I’ve had pizza outside of Italy. Also had lunch in Sarlat, at Auberge Le Mirandol. Had a coq au vin with the livers. Nice place, though Sarlat was very crowded with tourists, even on a rainy Wednesday.
Paris: first dinner (after a disastrous car trip taking 8 hours) at La Rotonde. We came in with a reservation at 9.30PM, the place was packed, and they offered us a table upstairs. I refused, and then they gave us a table outside. The weather was good, so alltogether pleasant, but I missed being around the ‘action’ inside. Third time here, and it’s one of those places where it really matters what table they give you, in terms of how enjoyable your evening will be. The food was outstanding: had my best dish of the trip here, the foie gras starter. My plat was also excellent, the tartare de boeuf. My partner had fish soup and a salad of haricot verts. Not being inside, we were not that keen to order a lot. Not even sure if they had their usual 3 course menu, as they did not mention it.
Lunch at the Luxembourg garden. Sitting in the sun, with the locals, surrounded by what is probably one of the nicest parks in Europe. Get a pastrami sandwich and Paris-Brest at Bread and Roses next door at Rue Madame and you’ll have a great lunch. Not eating a lot during lunch also offers the opportunity to go terrace hopping afterwards, drinking spritzes or ginto’s and snacking on bar bites. We used the velib quite a lot which came in handy doing this.
Dinner at 1 star Virtus. My first Michelin in Paris, confirming my preconceived ideas. The place is very nice, design is great, atmosphere quiet but still has a soul. Waitress was excellent, young and enthusiastic. Her wine choice was good. We chose the 5 course menu. Again a starter of petit pois. The cooking is technically excellent, and you can see the influences from Japan (sushi style French starter of raw fish) as well as classic French cooking (hollandaise sauce). I had spring lamb which was wonderfully cooked (sous vide), and my partner had an excellent fish dish with clams. Two desserts. Any critique? I find a lot of Michelin cooking ‘safe’ - here there were no outliers taste wise. Confined to the boundaries and aiming to please as many people as possible, e.g. everything has a hint of sweetness. Nobody will fault the cooking, but it did not set my pulses racing either. The muzak in the background (Katie Melua and Chicago covers) exacerbated my impression of the cooking. Conclusion: I’ll stick to my usual routine in Paris and visit a Michelin place maybe once in five restaurants. I’d really urge people to explore Paris outside of the Michelin realm.
Final lunch at Cafe Varenne. Probably some of the best people watching in the 6th. Such an enjoyable terrace! I have an above average interest in men’s wear and this is a great place to check out older gentlemen and their sartorial choices. The restaurant is run very professionally and smoothly, highly recommended. We had asparagus and a faux filet (sirloin).
Paris overall: still enjoyed being in the 6th again. But perhaps next time we will branche out to perhaps the 15th - we drove by and it seemed quite a lovely area.
Final notes: thanks everyone for your wonderful tips, wouldn’t want to change a single pick! I did however notice a common phenomenon post-covid, it’s getting increasingly hard to make reservations these days. Even in the Perigord. Next time I’ll try more Michelin places while being in the country side, eg I really liked the look of L’Huitrier Pie in Saint Emilion. Will probably visit Paris again later this year, and if I go on a longer holiday in France again, I’ll visit the Provence most likely.
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