Originally Posted by
robyng
Took a look - and the lunch at L'Arpege (140 euros) seems like a great value compared with dinner at 340 euros. Any reason you didn't go "all lunches" (Guy Savoy has one that is priced well - Epicure probably does too - but I couldn't find it in 60 seconds)? You'll be traveling a lot of time zones east - probably waking up really late - and that may well be a factor for you (last time in Europe - we almost slept through a lunch reservation - and we're 3 time zones closer than you are).
I don't know about anyone else. But something that seems fabulous at < $200 USD sometimes doesn't seem so fabulous at > $500+ USD. It's all a question of perceived value IMO.
I suspect which restaurant(s) you like the most will depend on what you like to eat. L'Arpege is pretty much a veggie type restaurant. Veggie places aren't my favorite. But they might be yours. October is game season in most of northern Europe/France/Paris. If you like game - you'll like the restaurants like Guy Savoy that do great things with game.
I reckon all foods are created equal - but our taste buds are all different
. I think unless someone is a total newbie - and doesn't know what he/she likes - that he/she should pick restaurants based on the kinds of food he/she really likes. Robyn
We arrive in Paris on a Sat afternoon (AF LAX-CDG), so dinner at
Guy Savoy that Sat night is our only option since we depart Tues and they are closed on Sun and Mon. We've canceled reservations twice before at Guy Savoy Paris and once in Vegas, so we are determined to finally dine there. Whether we do the tasting menu or a la carte will depend on our jetlag situation!
I am a meat eater, but I had a lunch at Noma (2012) that was out of this world...and more vegetarian than protein. So I'm willing to try lunch at L'Arpege and allow myself the chance to be surprised. Besides, my hubby loves vegetables. Mon lunch therefore seemed the smarter route based on price and our schedule...as we fly out early on Tues.
Epicure dinner is our Sun night. There aren't as many options open on Sunday nights, so we are delighted for the chance to try Epicure.
We love to dine, so getting in a number of great restaurants for us is part of the reason for travel, especially to major world cities like Paris. I'm not a big fan of museums, and I can only shop for a bit...so Paris to me is all about dressing stylishly (with my own version of great style, mind you, sans jacket!), dining well, shopping for unique clothing/shoes that we can't get in the US, and drinks at some of the best hotel bars in the world. We can't wait to check out the new Peninsula Paris, as well.
The good news for us is that Guy Savoy has informed us that we don't have to wear a jacket; though they prefer jackets for men, nice slacks, nice shirt, and great shoes will suffice. The same is true for L'Arpege. Only Epicure is standing by its jacket requirement. We have an alternative reservation at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon Saint Germain in case we really don't want to bring or wear jackets.