Senderens (8ieme)

9, place de la Madeleine
01.42.65.22.90

We'd been meaning to try Senderens, "the restaurant formerly known as Lucas Carton," for much of the time we've been here, but only this week were we able to score a table. So August in Paris has its advantages after all...

Because the table was worth scoring. The restaurant serves food equal to any one or two star that we've eaten at, but because the chef, Alain Senderens, refuses to deal with the Michelin rules, it's served in a much less formal atmosphere (and has no stars). Rather than white tablecloths, starched napkins, and multiple forks at every setting, it's plain tables, simple settings, and full emphasis on the food. The service is quick, pleasant and efficient, informal compared to the big temples of dining but perfectly good from our point of view.

What kind of food is it? Highly elevated bistro is what I'd say, though I'm sure that would make many fans of the place cringe for giving it too low a comparison point. The vegetables are so fresh and perfect that you can almost picture the shoppers at the morning market, and the spices are inventive without getting too far afield from French cooking. My cod was about perfect, as was Maryam's lobster (lobster and peaches, v nice combo).

They also serve a lot of wines by the glass, and in fact suggest a different wine with each dish, which is a fun way to go. Each of mine was perfectly matched (well, from what I could tell, anyway).

And the desserts were superb, a nice diversion from typical French fare, with a tart of spicy lemon and orange marmalade and ginger ice cream... my kind of dessert.

Location is hard to beat also, on place de la Madeleine, which means the logical after dinner walk is down to Place de la Concorde where the moon sits between the dome of the Assemblee Nationale and the Eiffel Tower...

Expensive but not insane, it's a great option as a temple of dining that hasn't been completely overrun by the Michelin starmaking machine.