Alain Ducasse/Jules Verne

This should be very interesting. Now that the Paris mairie has opened up the franchise of the restaurants located in the Eiffel Tower, and Alain Ducasse has signed a 10 year contract (top secret) to run the highly demanded establishment , Le Jules Verne, this (truly) haute gastro looks set to be the hottest table in the City of Lights next year. It'll be all positive anyway when he gets rid of the jerks running this tourist trap now. Details to follow...

Roast Whole Chicken at Allard

Ice Bar

Meiji

Who would've known that a Rival drinking acquaintance (thanks, David!) would end up investing the (former) tourist-trap Yakitori/Sushi-Cho restaurant and make it into one of the more interesting Japanese restos in the Golden Triangle... David, a longtime Paris fixture with contacts in all the right places recently took over the aforementionned place, added a former Nobu Paris chef (bonzai!) , spruced up the place a bit, and revved up the gastronomic quotient. From many a drunken evening pre-opening, with David, I know he's serious about what he's doing. And the Chef, well, let's put it this way, he's been known to disappear with a giant octopus for hours in the kitchen, only to emerge (after much kung fu shouting) with a tray perfect sushi.
We ate tartar of tuna with ginger, warm oysters with saki sauce, raw tuna slivers with sesame and saki sauce, scallops in a "teapot" (drink boullon first, then eat seafood and mushrooms inside) , fresh line-caught seabass, classic sushi platter, all washed down with cold Kirin on tap.


Meiji
24 rue Marbeuf 75008 Paris
+33 1 45 62 30 14

Drouant

In response to my three or four regular readers, I guess I will try to update this entry with a little more information than I usually do. Drouant was great. Not just the food. The starter, of fresh langoustines was great. They were impeccably fresh, and even though, they resembled a pair of bollocks ("My langoustines have bollocks!" is probably something I shouldn't have shouted out at the table, but hey, I guess the wine was pretty good as well...and we did have the private room upstairs, only among friends...). I wasn't too keen on the main dish of guinea fowl, as it was overcooked. The dessert was fine-light and airy. The best thing about the evening was hanging out at Drouant's bar after the dinner and getting drunk with Anthony Clémot (Drouant chef, and Westermann's business partner), the rest of the culinary team (two chefs I knew already from Le Cinq), a hot young Japanese stagiere, a few French TV celebrites, etc. The following near-fatal scooter race and drinks at Le Forvm (too spicy Bloody Mary-new bartender not good) rounded off a great night.

Special Menu:

Gambas roties, purée de topinambour et émulsion de cresson

Suprème de pintade roti à la sauge, pates Riso aux pieds de mouton

Le millefeuille de Drouant, crème légère parfumée a la vanille

Wines: 2004 Pinot Blanc, A. Kientzler 2004 Puig oriol, Domaine de la Tour Vieille



Drouant
16-18 place Gaillon 75002 Paris
+ 33 1 42 65 15 16
www.drouant.com

Les Béatilles becomes the new Bath's

Really looking forward to the new , recently reopened Bath's, in the place of the former Les Béatilles restaurant in the 17th. Modern decor. More adventurous menu, while keeping the classics. Jean-Yves and Stéphane at the helm. More soon...


Bath's
25 rue Bayen , 17eme
01.45.74.74.74

La Madonnina

Tagliatelle with fresh mushrooms

This fooding favourite on a quiet side street off of the Canal Saint Martin didn't impress me very much. Everything was acceptable- nice service, but not incredibly friendly or professional, ok food, slightly above average, but when factoring in the prices (not expensive, but not cheap either ), I'd say there are better places to go for the money.

Ratn

"Indian" clove cigarettes at Ratn

Austen, Céline and I, all great fans of Indian cuisine, and avid explorateurs of all new and interesting tables went the other night to Ratn, the new restaurant replacing the former Michelin star rated Bath's. We were all on intimate terms with the former owners (with all the great past memories that encompassed) , and we were a little hesitant to dine here, with all the insipid Indian experiences had in Paris. Austen even became an excellent cook in part because of the high price/low quality of most of these restaurants .... (with the exception of Dip, bien sur). Happily to say, Ratn is an excellent surprise in every way. From the owner's affable, professional, and warm welcome, and way in which we were treated to the perfection of their cuisine, based on ancient Moghul palace recipes. The manager, a former director of finance, took over this restaurant to bring a little exposure to his father, a discreet man who was the harbinger of Indian cuisine in Paris in the 1970's, and whose influence extends to almost every top Indian restaurant in Paris, as the owners of these estblishments were all formerly chefs in his place...

I'll update this post when I have time, but for the moment, this is , without doubt , the best Indian I have tried..