VivoPerLei

I'm surprised that you didn't get more first-hand Paris recommendations here. I've seen numerous threads in the Paris destination forum over the years with a lot of replies. Maybe they don't venture to DiningBuzz that often.

L'Arpege is at the top of my bucket list

PsiFighter37

I booked L'Arpege for lunch - friend who has been there says you can get the same food as dinner but for cheaper.

CappuccinoAddict

Spent 2 weeks in Chicago and hit a few Michelin-starred restaurants and figured I would report. In general I don't think a Michelin star in Chicago means as much as elsewhere.

1 Star:

Topolobampo: Rick Bayless's high-end Mexican restaurant inside his more casual Frontera Grill. Had the classic dinner tasting menu with wine pairings. It was fabulous! Wine pairings were spot-on. I would return.

Band of Bohemia: Went for brunch. Brewery with food, just recently received its first Michelin star. Decent brunch dish -- had crab benedict, served with mascarpone polenta instead of an English muffin, with a spicy hollandaise -- but not particularly memorable. House-brewed beers are good.

2 Stars:

Sixteen: Went for lunch and had the lunch tasting menu with wine pairings. Incredibly disappointing. The view is stunning but the decor is very 90s and drab, and the food was entirely forgettable. Service was unpolished.

Tru: Went for dinner and had the tasting menu. This place had 1 star for 6 years and just received its second star last year. Creative and delicious dishes, 2 stars seemed right for this one. Dishes were not complex enough or inventive enough to be in 3 star territory, so I completely understand this rating. Delicious dessert (black truffle ice cream) and stunning cheese trolley. Everything was cooked perfectly.

3 Stars:

Grace: Went for dinner and had the Fauna tasting menu with wine pairings. The most disappointing 3 star meal I've had. Service was theatrical and mostly good (with the exception of a bread course that was not explained). Some of the dishes simply did not work for me (too sweet or too smoky or flavors off); others were good but not great. The Thai style wagyu with lemongrass was wonderful, as were the desserts. Wine pairings were off the beaten path and the sommelier was a gem!

Am in NYC now and will be at the reliable Jean Georges for dinner tomorrow.

uggboy

Our lunch experiences, September 2016

During our visit for 2 nights/3 days in Eindhoven my fiance and I had lunch at Wiesen, a 1* Michelin starred restaurant, on a Saturday in September 2016.

We wanted to have a Michelin dining experience, so we checked what options we had and reserved a table. Wiesen was the only one open [for lunch] on our full day in the city. We liked the modern cuisine.

During weekends the restaurant accepts walk ins.

The chef patron is Yuri Wiesen and his wife Jessie is responsible for the front of house.

The restaurant is located in the oldest and most beautiful part of town. It had a very romantic feel, being surrounded by classic buildings, boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

The young and dynamic members of staff welcomed us warmly - we were the first to arrive -
and left us the choice if we wanted to sit inside or on the small terrace outside. We decided to take a table on the terrace. The weather was nice and warm, so it was wonderful.

The furniture was elegant and made of wood and iron. There was a cactus on each table.

We ordered a bottle of still Bru water and four glasses of Natureo Muscat (non-alcoholic) 2015 by Torres. The wine maker is a pioneer in de-alcoholized white wines.

The staff was already aware of our dietary requirements, so we got totally different greetings [Amuse-Bouches] from the kitchen than others did, because the regular one included seafood and looked very stylish and creative.

Our greetings from the kitchen were onion tarts served on stone, small potatoes, sour cream and caviar, to be eaten with a mother of pearl spoon, seaweed crisps with pea cream dip and one of the highlights, the Golden Egg with Scottish smoked salmon, egg yolk, sauce Hollandaise and brioche. The Golden Egg is a signature dish of Yuri Wiesen.

All the dishes were delicious and came on very different crockery.

To accompany our 4 course surprise menu - our first - we received sourdough bread in a wooden bowl. It was made for sharing and everyone could tear a piece off the loaf. The conidments were olive oil, butter and salt, served on stoneware.

There was a tiny spoon to serve the salt.

Our first course was seabass, guacamole, avocado and edible flowers. It was of course international, but reminded us of a Japanese dish.

It was followed by grilled mackerel, fregola (a pasta type from Sardinia), which had the texture of a creamy risotto, luke warm tomato, beurre blanc, edible flowers, green asparagus and tomato cracker.

The main course was duck with summer vegetables, beetroot and potato mash.

With our dessert a wonderful raspberry millefeulle we enjoyed two cappuccinos. The millefeulle was made with thin crispy, sheets and served with raspberry sorbet. The plate was designed in a snow pattern.

While the atmosphere and other international diners's behaviour was overall good, a German couple destroyed it a bit.
It seemed they weren't aware they had joined a one Michelin stared restaurant, even though the star is prominently on display, among other accolades.

They didn't wait to be seated and simply took a table beside us. She exclaimed loudly in German that she was hungry and would definitely eat something, while he replied he wasn't hungry. They ordered beer. W|hen they received the greetings from the kitchen it seemed they realized they had ended up in a fine dining establishment and suddenly the lady wasn't hungry anymore. Still it didn't keep them from enjoying the greetings from the kitchen. The staff was a bit taken aback when the couple didn't want to have a meal. After they had finished their drinks he snipped with his fingers and raised his arm to get the attention of one of the waitresses to get the bill.

We were glad when they left. Unfortunately the waitresses were for a short while a bit cooler towards us, because the Germans had been so disruptive, but after a short time all services received by the staff was warm and welcoming again.

We both believe there should be a rethink in regards of walk ins at Wiesen.

Our bill was 133.50 Euro (ca. 152.40 USD).

Of course we had also a peek into the restaurant inside. It's a bit darker, yet elegant, a combination of classic and modern, and lots of brown colors were used.

The toilets had interesting rock sinks.

We would return again, because we loved the great and colorful food, the creative presentation and the friendly staff.

The lunch was good value and next time we would love to try their five course surprise menu.

Here's a selection of our photos we took during our memorable September 2016 lunch at this beautiful restaurant:

























Would we recommend this restaurant to a friend? YES! ^
Would we want to enjoy lunch/dinner at this restaurant again in our future? YES! ^

Thank you and safe travels.

1P

Shortly leaving on a French trip that will include the following 1*s:

Le Georges (Chartres)
Claude Darroze (Langon)
Christian Etienne (Avignon)
Les Chênes Verts (Tourtour)
L'Aspérule (Auxerre)

and possibly others too. We have eaten at all these before, in some cases many times, except for L'Aspérule where Keigo Kimura started in 2014 and achieved a star in exactly one year, and is new to us. (We had many happy times at Barnabet in a previous era.)

Le Georges now has a new menu, and Christian Etienne is now under new ownership but apparently continuing the tradition of the eponymous founder. Will be interested to see how they compare with previously. Bajade retired from Les Chênes Verts and then returned to the stoves. Think he is still there this year. Has had a star for absolutely years, and deservedly.

Fraser

The OH and I did the 10 course tasting menu at Acadia last year and it was superb, lovely dining room too!
https://acadiachicago.com/

We also tried this place that has been vying for a Michelin Star for a while. Don't let the nighbourhood or dining room fool you. The food is excellent!
https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Rest...e-408492-41102

Bohemian1

I'm hoping to add a few reviews to this thread in a few weeks after a visit to Tokyo.

There's a few other places I'd love to check out, but the whole invitation-only nature of a couple of them is vexing my plans. Interesting model though.

Hilde

Seconded. Went to Acadia last summer myself (2 *), and my, what an experience! Tasting menu amazing, and wine pairings intriguing and original - while also featuring generous pours. My sister and her OH had been to Alinea (3 *) a while back, but thought Acadia provided a far better experience overall.

estnet

Are you planning to go to Le Sputnik. One of the most amazing places I've been (despite the quirky name) and with one star better than some 3 stars in Paris The price is quite reasonable (I'd say a steal) for the quality, but I think the wine list is a bit pricey (but I'm not an expert and didn't have wine).

It was sooo good that I made a second trip there b/c unlike many restaurants that change their menu every few weeks or season (there is only a fixed chefs choice menu - no choices) when I asked they said that the chef creates a new menu if you've dined before (and indeed less than a week later there were no repeats although next time I'll ask to have my favorite repeated).

Bohemian1

This looks interesting. I will have to see what I can arrange. Thanks!

United747

I actually just finished up dinner there. I was really impressed. Service reminded me a lot of Gramercy Tavern or Union Square Cafe - very comfortable and not stuffy at all.

I had the ~9 course menu and think that was borderline too much food. But each course was very good, just a few timing issues here and there, but I was dining solo and eat fast.

Wine list was very approachable, with many attractively priced bottles.

It's definitely someplace different from what I'm used to with Michelin 2&3 star places, very young crowd and no dress code (not saying that's bad, I went in jeans).

I would go back, but am looking forward to trying a few more of the Michelin star places here in Chicago in the next few months (Alinea in October, still figuring out September)

Yahillwe

One of my favorite places. And if you are coming during tomato season, you will be in for a treat.

Passage didn't do it for me. Neither Astance.

uggboy

Our dinner experiences, July 2017

When planning our London trip end of July / beginning of August 2017 my fiancé and I wanted to try another Indian Michelin stared restaurant. Since we had tried Benares one year ago we thought Tamarind of Mayfair would be another good choice, so we reserved a table for dinner on the day of our arrival in London.

We were glad we had reserved for 19.30 hours. Due to our flight arriving late in London [LGW] we probably wouldn’t have arrived in time, if booked at 19.00 hours as we originally wanted to do.

Tamarind is located near Green Park, The Ritz Hotel, the Flemings Mayfair (Hotel) and Berkeley Square.

It was the first Indian restaurant to earn a Michelin star in the world at the time under the guidance of Atul Kochhar, who is now the chef patron of Benares.

Tamarind is specialized in Moghul cuisine of North-West India. The chef is Peter Joseph.

Unfortunately the restaurant isn’t suitable for people with walking disabilities.

It is located in the basement and the only access is via a staircase.

The hostesses greeted us warmly and took our jackets and umbrella.

We were then accompanied downstairs and brought to our table.

The room was round/oval and the center piece was a beautiful flower arrangement, which reminded us of Four Seasons Hotels.

My fiancé had views over the bar, while I could look into a window to the kitchen.

The color scheme of the space was elegant in cream, white and gold with mirrors very attractively designed like a sun.

It felt lavish and we liked it.

Each table was covered with a white table cloth and decorated with an exotic flower in an intricate vase.

Our table had been set with a large gold plate and on top was another smaller porcelain plate.

Fellow diners were international and diverse in age from teenagers to matured patrons. Some celebrated a special occasion. There were families and couples also.

The maître d’ took our food allergies very serious and went with us step by step through the menu telling us exactly what we could and couldn’t eat.

We ordered a bottle of still Blenheim Palace mineral still water (the label was as lavish as the restaurant), 2 Tamarind Passion Mocktails made with mango puree, passion fruit juice and fresh mint and a mango lassi.

As a greeting from the kitchen we received pompadums with a berry dip, tomato and a date and fig chutney. His favorite was the date and fig chutney, mine was the tomato.

Our starters were Hara Gobi Tikki, broccoli cakes with potatoes, spring onions and gooseberry chutney and Gilafi Reshmi, chicken kabab with cheese, spices and mixed peppers.

Both dishes were tasty – a bit spicy, but not overbearing. I expected the kabab to be served on a skewer, but it had been removed beforehand.

The next courses were Adrakki Tikka Kabab (supreme of chicken with ginger, turmeric and yellow chilli powder) and Shai Dum Macchi (Halibut fillet with parsnips, spinach, tomato and kasundi mustard sauce).

We ordered two raitas, one with avocado, the other one with cucumber, and as side dish tandoori roti.

All dishes were delicious and the presentation was pleasing to the eyes. The parsnips looked like parpadelle and the whole combination was umami. The chicken was spicy and the raitas functioned as coolers. The roti was wonderfully fluffy and warm.

Our desserts were Shrikhand (hung yogurt, passion fruit gel and mango cheese) and chocolate delice (chocolate and coconut ganache, chocolate silk and blackberry sorbet).

The Shrikhand wasn’t sweet at all. It was utterly satisfying and silky.

The chocolate delice was very sweet in comparison to the yogurt dessert.

The textures and warm/cold components worked well together.

The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They were also incredible busy, which caused one member of staff to forget our second Tamarind Passion, which we wanted to enjoy with our dessert. We received a sincere apology and the drink was on the house. Memorable service standards. We felt in good hands.

Our bill/check came in at 121.61 GBP (ca. 137.35 Euro / ca. 156.70 USD) including service charge.

With our bill/check came a selection of gourmandizes. In our case mint leaves covered in white chocolate and dark chocolate orange pralines. Moreish and tasty at the same time.

We would return again, because we loved the lavish interior, the friendliness and warmth of the staff and the excellent cuisine, plus good/relaxing atmosphere.

Here's a selection of our images we took during our dinner visit at this memorable restaurant in July 2017:
























Would we recommend this restaurant to a friend? YES! ^
Would we want to enjoy lunch/dinner again at this restaurant in our future? YES! ^

Thank you and safe travels.

VivoPerLei

How do you compare the Michelin starred Indian restaurants in London you've been to? Looking at the 2017 list, I see

Tamarind
Gymkhana
Benares
Veeraswamy
Trishna

Looks like Veeraswamy was just added and Quilon dropped (didn't see it after looking a couple of times, maybe it's still there somewhere). In any event, I've been to Veeraswamy and thought it was great, but have not been to the others. Always on my radar though, just always choose something else. I loved the non-Michelin starred Moti Mahal, but it has long since closed.

offerendum

Found Tamarind always interesting, but always decided for other restaurants.