To talk about the restaurant business has to do with the activity related to the person who has or who exploits a restaurant, and that is exactly what I want to talk about today. French Gastronomy is probably the most famous cuisine around the world. It was the first one to be recognized by UNESCO as world heritage, and evidently in this city one doesn’t need to make too much of an effort to find good restaurants. Nonetheless, I have heard people say one dines badly here. Of course, if you are planning to eat sandwiches made from half a baguette and drink Coca-Colas or buy Nutella crêpes sold in the middle of the street for 1 Euro, surely you are bound to eat horribly. And even so, if one knows where the bon coins are located, there is no need to spend a fortune.
It is true that not every restaurant will serve exceptional food. Sometimes what they sell is an experience, I think. Some offer their view, others location, and others offer good food. Good service… that’s a bit more complicated, yet not impossible. Thus, in the last year and a half I have been visiting around the city I dare to call the Gastronomy Capital of the World, I have found a little bit of everything, good, bad, ugly, touristic, exceptional, and even dreamy.
Of course, I don’t know them all, and in fact, I am quite far from such an achievement, but here are some of the ones I have enjoyed the most and which won’t make you leave a month’s salary when paying your bill:
Dans Le Noir: This place is a WHOLE experience in itself. Just like its name says so, one gets to eat in total darkness. The waiters are blind, and beyond what they serve and one gets to eat, it’s about having a moment of blindness. It’s about understanding how blind people live in a sighted environment.
Ciel de Paris: Yes, this is the tallest restaurant in the city. As a matter of fact, it is the tallest in the continent. It is located on the 56th floor of the Montparnasse Tower. The food is quite good, but the sight is even better. Now I know where I want to go and have dinner on Bastille Day to see the fireworks of France’s National Holiday.
Le Murat: We arrived here by mere coincidence, and it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Here, you can find good food, and good service… I almost forgot, and it’s close to home. I ate here the best Chateaubriand with Bearnaise sauce I have tasted so far ir my life.
Georges: An exceptional view, delightful dishes, and I have heard people say that the employees of this restaurant are the best-looking in the city. I will not give my opinion in this regard, but I hope you’re curious enough to make a stop here. You shouldn’t miss it! It’s on the terrace of the Georges Pompidou Center and it’s classified among the best views of the modern Gaëlic capital.
Le Mesturet: This is another restaurant we found by chance, but it’s at the top of our list because it’s the nearest we have found in the category of good, nice, and inexpensive of the metropolis, for they serve very good quality dishes of traditional cuisine. Their portions are well-sized, and the prices are fair. A ‘must go-to’ place to dine with your loved one, among friends, or with the family.
But something I feel it should be highlighted as a great advantage this major city and its extremely central location regarding the rest of the world -as seen by any Parisian- is that the gastronomic offer is not exclusively local, for one can delight the daily appetite notwithstanding the cravings. Hence, if you want good sushi, there’s the delivery service of Sushi Shop, which is quite decent, or there’s the more upscale Tsé*, located in the old Gare d’Auteuil. In terms of Moroccan cuisine, we shouldn’t forget Le 404, the Hindi Le Palais de Raja-Maharaja, our very favorite Pizzeria d’Auteuil with marvelous service, and of course the Mexican Hacienda del Sol* on Boulevard Montparnasse, even though I would rather prepare the tacos and salsas at home to my taste, buy hey, this doesn’t mean that the place doesn’t have a good kitchen or that many locals recognize it as such.
N.B. *These restaurants have permanently closed.
I know that I still have pending L’Arpège (Alain Passard), Le Pré Catelan (Frédéric Anton), L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Joël Robuchon), Le Bar à Huîtres (Thierry Brusson), or Maison Blanche (Hervé Nepple) just to mention a few, and I am sure that the list will only get longer. But for all of you, dear readers, don’t let anyone tell you that here you are bound to eat badly. I think that it’s just that many servers don’t like their jobs, and when their guests aren’t francophone, it just gets worse.
Also, I sincerely hope this situation continues to improve. There’s been an enormous amount of progress from the first time I visited the Hexagon up to know. In the meantime, bon appétit !
Spanish