Since I am awake very, very early due to time differences back home, figured I would I
start this while the memories are still so fresh. First off, yes, yes, yes to all of you who warned about food fatigue and overdoing. I think in my exuberance about returning to Paris, I wanted to pack it all in. As the trip got closer, I kept reshuffling and after being in Paris, I continued modifying and axing places I did not expect to cancel. My attitude shifted to realizing, but of course I’ll be returning and there are always going to be wonderful choices.
What I loved about where we ended up dining was the huge range of experiences, not just in the food but also in neighborhoods, vibe, tone of the restaurants. Each felt different and I’d planned it that way.
We had hoped/planned to go to Nellu on our first night since it was very convenient to the apartment but the airlines and Heathrow had other plans for us with a canceled LHR to CDG flight. Weather, strikes, etc put us into Paris around 8pm and we were exhausted. Lesson learned for sure is that travel these days can be chaotic, frustrating and disappointing and plans are best viewed as tentative and hopeful not as definite or controllable.
Although BA booked us on flights to Paris (and different ones!!) on the next morning, a great BA counter agent worked hard on our behalf to get us out in the evening. That mattered since we had a lunch reservation at Montee the next day that we didn’t want to miss!
Lunch at Montee was delightful. Very small place in the 14th, husband chef and wife, charming and engaging, is front of house. We sat by the window, a single French man, young French couple and another middle aged French couple made it not full, but not too quiet either. It was a great walk over from our apartment, passing an outdoor gym type thing, Luxembourg Gardens, and very little English being spoken in the neighborhood.
Back to the food—-and will post pictures another time. It was the 6 course lunch menu and the highlights for me were the red mullet/mint/potato and the duck with lentil sprouts with the chef coming out to pour the sauce over the duck and explain the dish. Each course was a visual treat (as you will soon see) and the portions just the right size. We really liked Montee and the 60€ lunch was a real value. I would definitely go back.
Dinner at Istr was oysters, shrimp, and a seafood pasta dish for my daughter. Very different from Montee with a small bar in front, vibrant colors and feel. The white tablecloths and China replaced by English speaking friendly and relaxed waiters in jeans. Prices were fairly high and what can I say, I really like my Wellfleet, MA oysters better than the saltier French ones (no attacks please, just a personal preference!). Enjoyed it as well, and was such a contrast from Montee.
Lunch at Petrelle was the next day and a total winner. Again, different environment, a few English speaking couples, some French and some Asian. Lovely old fashioned feeling room, warm service, very nice menu where you could choose from 3 entrees, plats, desserts. I started with the oysters gratinees, then the Chou de Pontoise farci (stuffed cabbage) and the rhubarb Pavlova while my daughter had the white asparagus and the gnocchi with mussels and artichoke. All the dishes were beautifully presented and delicious and kind of a joke at 34€. Excellent quality and value.
In my quest for different neighborhoods and contrast, dinner that night was at a jam packed Dubillot, filled with families, groups, you name it. Unlike walking along the food streets of Rue Montorgueil or Rue des Martyrs, this was past the sex shops of Saint Dennis. Dubillot was fun, loud, and cheap. Enjoyed the remoulade, steak frites (either hanger or onglet but very good), daughter had onion soup and a salad. We Didn’t have the Paris Brest there as we had been sampling pastries earlier along the streets I mentioned! Two very different places for lunch and dinner and both great for what they were.
Alliance was lunch the next day. Loved it immediately. The staff makes you feel welcome the minute you step through the door (in spite of the mounds of trash/rubbish in front the place). Again, will post pictures since any description will not do justice to the presentations, especially the scallops and lamb. The room is not too large but every table was taken. A group of 4 French couples were next to us and seemed to be celebrating getting together—-sort of set the tone of the room. Happy, bright, a mix of French and English being spoken, the French drinking wine and the English drinking water (I had wine, my daughter water so we were a split). Again, a place I’d like to go back to on next visit to Paris.
In the spirit of, can any place be more difference from Alliance, we went to Jones for some a la carte dinner choices splitting pasta and salad. Store front kind of setting with tables, bar stools, open kitchen in back, young, casual. Reminded me of places in the Village years ago in NYC or early Brooklyn.
At this point in the trip, I did some hacking and much to my surprise, Granite was one of the hacked. Wanted to also do Qui de la Plume and did not. We had decided that due to the general strike on the 28th, we would not venture out for dinner (not necessary in hindsight but was what we felt comfortable with at the time). So, booked kgb for lunch, a place that I kept moving around reservation-wise and had considered on previous trips.
Lunch at kgb was a super winner for me, less so for my daughter although we both liked the restaurant a lot. We both enjoyed the Zor d’euvres and then you have a choice between plats, entrees, desserts for 39€. My daughter had the cod which she found bland but I had a sensational quail dish with chestnut mash and spinach. My Apple, buckwheat ice cream, tamarind dessert was also excellent. Everyone there was French, some men in business suits, business group of 10 in separate area, open bright, cheerful feeling. Enjoyed even more than anticipated so took the sting out of some of the places I cut out this trip. Dinner was back at apartment—-cheese, banquette, etc, that we had picked up earlier in our wandering.
Final day was walking around and grabbing sandwich for lunch since we were having tasting menu at Perception for dinner (see, I listen!!). We got there at 7:30 along with 2 young French guys but within 30 minutes place was full and we were only two of four patrons speaking English. Open kitchen in the back, high energy and, with a large table near us, things became borderline frenetic with waitstaff.
Started with very good and interesting amuse bouche that included radish dipped in black olive powder., then raw langoustine, slivers of white asparagus with smoked eel, a cabbage Mille feuille with fish, filet with roasted black garlic and two desserts. The entire meal was delicious.
So, except for food photos, that was it restaurant wise which was much of what this visit was built around, along with wandering, shopping and Degas/Manet at D’Orsay. So many places remain unsampled so I am left with no choice but to return. Figuring on December………
I have one more slot opened for a Saturday lunch, and i would have selected Alliance but it is closed, so Montee seems like fitting the bill at a very reasonable price of 60 before, wonder how you found both places and in comparison etc… Actually our lone “official plan” for that day is to do the Opera Garnier self tour, so maybe even Petrelle for an after lunch in the area is a great candidate… Too many options but i think giving that Alliance closed, Montee is the “next interesting” (or sourire in 13th)… If so quite starting to fall a bit towards the “too much tasting menus” zone, but i think we will survive it 
