by lareine | Sep 17, 2025 | Stories, Paris
A good start at Hemicycle. After eating at bistros for a few days and then returning to the stars, it was immediately clear just how much sophistication is present. Lime and white melon lured us in with a confident introduction to Hemicycle’s snacks. The butter for...
by lareine | Sep 17, 2025 | Stories, Paris
Unbeknown to me, I might have walked into a tourist‑trap restaurant. Part of the Ducasse empire, Allard is an old‑school bistro known for casual French classics. It all sounds good on paper. Unfortunately, I must have ordered the most uninteresting thing on the menu —...
by lareine | Sep 16, 2025 | Paris, Stories, Uncategorized
Chef Mathieu is the kind of chef I can relate to – he puts his head down and delivers real, delicious food with substance. There is no tasting menu (a sensible move). You will find all the à la carte choices on a blackboard, so just be sure you know your French so you...
by lareine | Sep 15, 2025 | Stories, Paris
As I did my research about where to go for a kind of casual, bistro‑style dining experience, Ambos showed up on my radar. I don’t go to restaurants as a clear strategy just because a chef is famous or has been on TV. What matters is the cookery, not the fame. You...
by lareine | Sep 15, 2025 | Stories, Paris
My quest continues as I explore more of the bistro scene in Paris. I made a firm point on this trip not to visit any Michelin-starred restaurants (more on that another time). Sometimes—or quite often—you simply prefer to sit down without pressure, without pristine...
by lareine | Jun 7, 2025 | Paris, Stories, Uncategorized
We managed to get a table here at the last minute (thank you, Adrian). Still awarded its three stars, but now with a new chef, it was going to be interesting to compare this visit to my last in 2016, when Eric Frechon was still running the show. The dining room is...
