Spring 2003

     


Best European Restaurants
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Summary:
+ Paris
- Just New
- New Concepts
- Petit prix, grande saveur
- Personnality of the month: : A. Ducasse
+ French Riviera
- Just New
- Special File: Cannes
+ Province
+ Week-end
- Provence with Lourmarin
- Aubrac, Massif Central, Michel Bras
+ Europe
- the best of Brussels


Sites selection



Work in progress:
A lot of articles have not been yet translated,
so please check our original French site for more news and goodies.


> PARIS
 
C'est Nouveau     latest news from Paris

Senso
Following the success of L'Alcazar, Terence Conran has quietly opened his 2nd restaurant in a 1900 setting ("haussmannien revisité") Hôtel de la Trémoille, 8th. with an interesting chef Philippe da Assuncao.

16 au 16: After the departure of Ghislaine Arabian, her chef and maitre d'H. are taking command of this elegant restaurant close to Place Victor-Hugo (16ème) to create an interesting cuisine based on excellent products.

Aux Lyonnais: an old typical Parisian restaurant (behind La Bourse, Stock Market, Paris 2nd) serving cuisine from Lyons, « un bouchon parisien dédié à la cuisine lyonnaise » has just been taken over by Alain Ducasse's Group in partnership with the owner of « L’Ami Louis » in Paris. Classical and simpatico with a touch of new.

Mixed reviews for Alain Passard, the 3 star l'Arpege and his all vegetable menu…

Some former chefs from A.Passard following the brillant example of L'Astrance have just opened: De La Garde. 83, av. Ségur, 15ème We wish they meet the same success

They were the news in 2002, and are still at the top in 2003:
* L'Astrance, next to the gardens of Trocadero, opposite the Eiffel Tower, opened by former chef and Maitre d'H. from Arpege***.
Certainly a great gem in town… and prices stay reasonable. But long waiting list.
* L'Angle du Faubourg, 2nd restaurant from Jean-Claude Vrinat (Taillevent) is a great success with splendid wines from his next door cellar-store.
* Ze Kitchen Galerie In the 6th, next to Quai des Celestins, a trendy small restaurant clean and luminous as the cuisine: simple and light with taste.
* Market. Jean-George Vongerichten's Paris restaurant described as "ethno-fusion" brings new flavors (avenue Matignon Paris 8th)
* Copenhague - Flora Danica, the best Danish food in Paris is on the Champs-Elysées
* Rue Balzac, a great success for this trendy restaurant with good food…
*Les Grandes Marches, the mythical brasserie Place de La Bastille has been taken over by Group Flo, the menu is looked after by the excellent chef Christian Constant.
Good choice after a night at Opera Bastille.

Joël Robuchon is back
Opening in March 2003, of L'Atelier good and not expensive, "chic et pas cher", around a central open kitchen, to try urgently. (Hôtel Pont-Royal, rue Montalembert, 7th)

New bunch of trendy restaurants all rather large with lots of light, and all with the same kind of minimalist design:
6 New-York, next to Place Alma, Jean-Pierre Vigato has placed one of his best chefs there, from his famous restaurant Apicius, Jérôme Gangneux. Quite successfully !
Maison Rouge, a false twin sister of La Maison Blanche was disappointing.
Barlotti: after Barfly and Buddha bar, a new enôoormous restaurant on the theme of Italy.

Flora Mikula, already known when she was owner-chef of Les Olivades, has a new splendid restaurant facing Hotel George V.
Decor and cuisine are clean and classy. Patricia Wells loved it.

Lavinia: a enormous wine store, more than 1000 m² with an exceptional choice of 6500 wines and alcohols from all over the world as well as old vintage, between Madeleine and Opera, with at the upper level a place to snack.
On a smaller scale: Bld St Germain, Millesime, a new store dedicated to Bordeaux Grands crus only, with some old vintages. Very expert advice.

2 new grand hotels **** have opened in Paris: Park Hotel Hyatt 3 rue de la Paix and
Radisson, 78, Av. Marceau 8th whose restaurant La Place seems promising.

Relais-Plaza, part of Hotel Plaza-Athénée, has reopened after renovation with a new ambiance always Art Deco as it is famous since 1936.

The dance of the Chefs in Paris 8th:
Michel del Burgo (former chef at Hotel Bristol and trained by Alain Ducasse) has left Taillevent to settle in Provence, at Bastide de Gordes (Luberon).
Alain Solivérès arrives at Taillevent and Eric Beffart sparkles at the Elysées du Vernet.

La Maison Blanche. The twin brothers Pourcel, 3 star *** chefs from Montpellier, just bought the Paris Maison Blanche (top of Theatre des Champs-Elysées, avenue Montaigne, fabulous view over Paris) and are turning it into a prestige Mediterranean-cooking restaurant.

New Concepts
After Conran opening Alcazar in Paris 6th,
then Man Ray, following the steps of the Bouddha Bar.

Chez Bon: it is mostly beautiful but is it good?
Now Bon 2 is opening and food gets better.
After their success of their Hotel, rue St Honoré, Café Marly and many others, the Costes brothers did it again …. Champs-Elysées, Invalides, Georges at Pompidou Center (top floor)…

Spoon, not another concept any old how, because Master Ducasse did it!
Small price, great savour The Best Restaurants in Paris at a glance:
Some of the best addresses Parisians keep for themselves, wow, what a feast…
Epi Dupin, Les Salons de Hélène Darozze, Les fous d'en face, Les Amognes, Les Grandes Marches

A complete survey with a quick and comprehensive chart

Dinner at Ducasse Plaza and at Guy Savoy
Complete Articles with Menus and prices.

Personality of the month
Alain Ducasse has opened several new restaurants in Paris (and several around the world).
All about his new Paris restaurants:
Spoon, 59 Poincaré, Le Plaza, Le Bar & Boeuf


> RIVIERA
 
C'est Nouveau   latest news

Cannes: Villa des Lys, (Hotel Majestic) our favorite best restaurant in Cannes followed
by a challenger Palme d'Or (Hotel Martinez).

Cannes : Small, the restaurant may be 'Small' but the chef's talent is 'Big'
So is the talent of the chef at Les 3 portes.

Lorgues: Terres de Truffes. Bruno, the king of black truffles, opens a new boutique-restaurant full of those black diamonds at reasonable prices.
His main restautrant in Lorgues is indeed worth a visit.

Vence: We really love this one:
Auberge des Templiers.

 

La Turbie: Bruno Cirino, the chef of Royal Monceau in Paris, leaves gold and stars to become an inn chef in a priory from XIIIth century in La Turbie, overlooking Monte-Carlo and the sea Méditerrannée.

Tourrettes sur Loup: L'Auberge de Tourrettes. Chef in a Relais & Châteaux in Scandinavia, he moved to this beautiful middle-age village, restoring with taste an old inn with a superb sea view.

Peillon: l'Auberge de la Madone. Young Chef Thomas Millo has joined his father Christian and together they pay tribute to traditional 'Nicois' cuisine.


Best Places in Cannes  

> PROVINCE of France
> WEEK END
   
Lubéron: La Fénière in Lourmarin
Aubrac, in Laguiole: Michel Bras

Around Lake of Annecy
Avignon


> EUROPE
 
 

Chronique Gourmande: Like Haute-Couture, Haute-Gastronomie has been growing from France throughout Europe. In Switzerland, in Belgium, in Spain and now in Italy:
An exceptional restaurant : Al Sorriso (1 h. North of Milano, close to Lakes Maggiore and Orta)

The season for the famous white truffles (Tartufi Bianchi) is short (Autumn).
But a few days in the vineyards around Alba, in the Italian Piemont is always enchanting.
Our best hotels and restaurants.

Le best in London
, a first survey.
A lunch at Gordon Ramsay 3 star (article + menu)!

Le best in Brussels. And our dinner at the 3 star restaurant Comme chez Soi.

Spain and Portugal: week-end in the Paradores and Pousadas (converted castles).