Ledoyen *** (Champs Elysees)

A Michelin three-star in a superb location just off the Champs, Ledoyen is the kind of place that I wanted to fall in love with, but the chemistry just wasn't quite there.

The service was warm and attentive, the waiters speaking English to those of our group of 8 who didn't speak French (yes, 7 lovely ladies and Blach for dinner; other diners were pondering the situation). And the decor is very nice as well, classic but not over the top.

And it's hard to find fault with the food. Hard, but not impossible. And perhaps that's the issue. At a three star restaurant in the heart of Paris, you expect perfection. Sorry, but that's the fact. And though some of the dishes were out of this world, some fell short of the mark compared not just to other three star type experiences, but compared to some "lesser" restaurants we've visited since we arrived.

The little amuse-bouche appetizers were fantastic, including a little foie gras patty that was actually mouth-wateringly good. And the other starters drew murmurs of appreciation from the crowd. My giant prawns were great, and there were multiple raves about the fresh asparagus (apparently the season has begun in the south of France).

But Maryam's roast chicken, while beautifully presented, was a little soggy. And though my sweetbreads were terrific, the table didn't light up with enthusiasm for everything served.

Desserts were extremely good all around, though some of the more extreme tastes weren't for everyone. I'm sorry to report that Maryam declared her love for her raspberry tart and in fact married it at the table. So perhaps I'm just bitter that any restaurant could steal my wife!

The sommelier was super, recommending two nice Burgundies that went perfectly with the meal.

The cost? Well, if you have to ask .... Giant prawn starter for 78 Euros, that kind of thing.

I should also note that this is the first of the three stars we've been to in Paris, so perhaps we'll come back to revisit this post when we have a better basis for comparison. Don't get me wrong - this is a special meal in a special place. But if forced to choose where I'd have dinner tomorrow night, I'd probably choose Le Meurice, based on our dinner there last month.

Cafe Max (near Invalides)

7, ave de la Motte-Piquette
01.47.05.57.66

Ah, now this is a nice little lunch spot if you are in the neighborhoods of Invalides or Ecole Militaire (it's on the other side of Invalides from the Rodin Museum).

Classic small clean bistro with a single waiter running around, smiling and amusing. Basic menu and almost everything was good. Terrine and salad both solid starters, but Maryam wasn't impressed by the onion soup. Otherwise everything was just fine, including a decent carafe of Bordeaux and a nice creme caramel for dessert.

All came in around $30/head including wine. Not bad for almost two hours of pleasant eating on a rainy Thursday :-)

Bottom line - it's probably not worth a separate trip, but it's a good option in the neighborhood.

La Butte Chaillot (16ieme)

We'd been reading about this restaurant in various guidebooks and restaurant articles, so thought we'd swing by one night to see what the fuss was all about. It's just a hundred yards off Trocadero, near our apartment, and conveniently located for a post-dinner stroll with Eiffel Tower views.

However, once inside, it feels like a world away. Or perhaps I should say half a world away, or, more precisely, New York City. The food and decor are terrific, but there is something about every single table in the place speaking North American English that makes it all feel a little less Continental. Alas, this restaurant appears to be a victim of the much-feared "curse of the popular guidebook." Even the high prices show that it feels confident in its ongoing popularity.

(yes, yes, I know, we aren't exactly French ourselves, so were net contributors to the problem here. But by generally avoiding the spots that are most popular with the English-speaking crowd, we are helping relieve the pressure)

(Personally, I'm beginning to detect a conspiracy - the Parisian restaurant community may be herding us anglos into a small number of well-known places so they can enjoy their meals in relative peace...)

That said, La Butte Chaillot does have some redeeming qualities. The food, as mentioned, is very good. Guy Savoy puts on a great culinary show, and complements it with a nice wine list. Though I'm no expert on the subject, it seemed like very capable nouvelle cuisine, even a bit on the light side. And the preponderance of Americans in the place did cut down on the cigarette smoke quite a bit.

But in the end it's hard to recommend it to friends visiting Paris, because it doesn't deliver on the experience that everyone is looking for, the Parisian restaurant filled with Parisians.

My prediction: La Butte Chaillot will continue to be mentioned in guidebooks and articles, and will continue to draw a North American crowd, until finally it gets known more for the crowd than for the food. The books will drop it, and it will revert to a very nice neighborhood restaurant.

Passiflore * (16ieme)

Highly recommended, despite being three-quarters empty on the Thursday night we visited (I am no fan of eating in empty restaurants).

Passiflore has one Michelin star, so there wasn't much question the food would be good. It was. From a vichysoisse amuse-bouche through to main course beef and lamb, it did not disappoint. The chef likes to use Indian spices, though the cuisine is definitely French. It's a nice combination. Imagine a French-style roast lamb on a bed of curried beans, as opposed to what you might normally think of as lamb curry, where the meat would be cooked in the curry along with the beans.

The most traditionally French touch was my starter - an intimidatingly large block of terrine de foie gras. Despite my best efforts and a nice glass of Sauternes for lubrication, there was just no way I could eat the whole darn thing.

The decor is nice, airy yellow and orange, and provides a nice respite from a harsh Paris winter evening. It's only a three block walk from our apartment, but it wasn't a pleasant one.

We liked the service, mostly because Passiflore doesn't seem like the kind of one-star that is pulling out all the stops to get another star. There was very little of the pretentiousness that can kill a simple place that serves really good food. In fact, our young waiter seemed genuinely confounded when I couldn't finish the terrine de foie gras. He asked with great concern whether something was wrong with it, and didn't at first seem to accept my explanation that I just wasn't up to the task at hand. Which I suppose was a sort of compliment.

When he came back to the table with the main courses I thanked him for recommending the Sauternes with the terrine, at which point he relaxed a bit. I wouldn't be surprised if they had been talking about it in the kitchen. The chef probably doesn't like to see the plates of foie gras coming back anything other than clean.

A great choice for a neighbourhood dinner that is a solid cut above bistro fare (and proportionally more expensive). We both liked it much more than Paul Chene, which seems fusty by comparison. We'll go again.

Erik