I have an upcoming trip to Paris, and I’d appreciate your advice on my lunch and dinner plans. We’ll be coming from Copenhagen after stuffing ourselves silly, so my traveling companions have limited us to one big tasting menu in Paris. In addition, I’m looking for places with great food and a lively atmosphere, but not too loud or cramped. Also, it would be great if they are places where people can order light or heavy depending on how hungry they are.
Wednesday
Arrive in the afternoon
Dinner: Parcelles (I went for lunch when I was in Paris last and LOVED it. Is it as good for dinner?)
Thursday
Lunch: Rigmarole (I was excited to see this has reopened - do I want to go here for lunch or for a weekend pizza dinner if both are available?)
Dinner: Bailotte? Franquette? Other?
Friday
Lunch: Mokonuts
Dinner: Granite or Table by Bruno or Vaisseau by Cachot or other? (I had a fantastic dinner at David Toutain the last time I was in town and hoping for something similar with a tasting menu that isn’t too stuffy/formal or overly complicated)
Saturday
Lunch: Telescope Cafe Sandwiches?
Dinner: Rigamorle pizza? Gramme? Le Duc? Soca?
Thank you in advance! I will follow up with my reviews!
Hi @ReservedbySarah, I haven’t eaten lunch at Parcelles, but ate dinner there twice, and loved my dinners. You can choose what you want from the menu. Guessing the cooking is similar to lunch, but with perhaps an expanded menu (though the menu is not long).
I have not eaten at Le Rigmarole but am also excited to see it back (alas it is closed this week when I am in Paris). I would go for the lunch menu rather than the pizza, if it was me.
Had a fantastic meal at Granite last night (will post about it, but didn’t take pictures, except for the menu). As good as (if not better than) the meal I ate there a year ago. Highly recommend. I have not eaten at Table, but am hoping to when I am here in March, but I understand it is exceptional. Not that I necessarily have faith in such things, but it arrived 10th on the list of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” last year, and I’m guessing that it is in a class of its own. I’m guessing it might not be “uncomplicated,” but I don’t think it would be stuffy/formal either. I don’t know Vaisseau, but I looked at it, and I didn’t find what I saw so appealing for the moment. It is just opening though, so I would keep an eye on it…
Hope you have a fantastic time, and keep us posted!
I’m not sure my tastes match yours as you seem to be following some very American-centric websites, but FWIW, here they are:
Parcelles – I like it a lot, and if you can get in, good for you.
Jeanne-Aimée – I think it’s great at lunch. At dinner, they had switched to a tasting menu (which I don’t like), but it looks like that has been abandoned for à la carte so that could also be good (but considerably more expensive than lunch).
Rigmarole – I haven’t tried it since it re-opened but it didn’t super excite me before it closed. Personally, I’d go for Parcelles or Jeanne-Aimée.
Le Cheval d’Or, Bouche, Mokonuts – no experience. If you want just up the street from Le Cheval d’Or, consider Soces.
Granite – My most recent visit was unsatisfactory. Flamed dessert that reeked of lighter fluid, nothing done when we complained; 9€ for undrinkable espresso; 9€ per bottle of tap water, second bottle served without asking if we wanted it. Also not a lively atmosphere. Try Hémisphere for same restaurant group, much better experience.
Table (I presume the Bruno Verjus version) – very good, but very expensive for what it is.
I’ve only eaten twice at Granite, but most recently in early January and both meals were superb. Tough dessert à la lighter fluid sounds gross (and that they did not “do anything about it” even worse). Not a fan of David Toutain, so not sure what exactly would appeal to you…
I also don’t know anything about Le Cheval dÓr, Bouche or Mokonuts, but I think (if you like fish, since the menu is mostly fish/seafood and vegetables) Soces would be appealing to your enjoyment of lively atmosphere and small plates ordering.
Glad to see that Jeanne Aimee has gone back to a more regular (not no choice) menu. However, when @sfcarole was there last, she commented that the restaurant was fairly empty and felt sad to her. I have not been since they changed up their menu (to that forced choice experiment), so don’t know what it looks like now. I really liked it when it first opened and had a number of excellent meals there.
Despite the reputation as a fish place (and the fish is always excellent), there are always a number of non-fish options at Soces, and they are more than an afterthought. The current menu is online: soces.fr.
Agreed! But if fish is not your thing, probably wouldn’t love this place. When I went, we stuck mostly with the fish and vegetable dishes, but had a wonderful sausage dish as well. I can’t wait to go back!
Curious as to why you would say someone wouldn’t love the place if fish were not their thing. I’ve ordered non-fish dishes on many occasions and they have been excellent. And the atmosphere is big draw.
I guess my feeling is that, though certainly not an “afterthought,” they really shine in the fish/seafood department, least that was my impression. (That there were not that many meat choices.) Still, I have only been there once, and I do like fish, so really I probably shouldn’t comment on what might please someone who doesn’t like fish!
I can second @ninkat 's experience at Granite. R and I were there last November and had a delightful lunch. My review is here. We managed the expensive water problem at Granite (and elsewhere) by asking for a carafe d’eau. (“Merci, mais juste une carafe d’eau, s.v.p,” after the server asks if you want plain or sparkling water). We also enjoyed our lunch and dinner there in 2022. Those reviews are here and here.
I am also happy to hear that Jeanne Aimée has reverted to its “open choice” menu. Hopefully that will bring back the crowds and joyful ambiance.
Le Rigmarole - if you can get a res, go for the tasting menu at lunch (beware: not sure how much choice there is).
For small pizzettas in the evening, consider one of my favorite places: Café du Coin in the 11th. Check it out here.
I haven’t been to Franquette in the 18th, but it looks interesting and the array of small plates very appealing.
Cheval d’Or was pretty dreadful the first time I went, but now that it has a different chef I couldn’t tell whether it has improved or not. This place and a few others have made me very suspicious of the “neo-Chinese adapted to right-bank millenial Parisian’s taste” exercise, like Double Dragon or Cheval d’Or. It misses many points, has no culinary energy, and never reaches the level of most family-run neighborhood Chinese places that have been around for decades.
Soces was on my radar, and I can’t remember why I dropped it. I’ll switch it in for Thursday night. I’d read a positive review on Paris by mouth of the new chef at Cheval d’or, but Soces sounds like a much better suggestion.
I’m surprised to hear a bad Rigamarole review! I’ve heard so many good things, so I think I still need to try it for myself. I’ll report back on my experience.
I’m glad to hear some people have had positive experiences at Granite! I will also look up Hémicycle.
And thank you for the cafe du coin recommendation! We could use some more non-tasting menu recommendations. And I’ll look at Jeanne-Amiee for lunch instead of dinner.
