Dear fellow travellers we will be in Paris for the first time in June. I would like to have a special dining experience but having looked at some of the three star restaurants, I may need to take a loan out on the house

Anyone have any suggestions of 2 or 1 star restaurants that will be a special dining experience?

All suggestions with ot without Michelin stars will be gratefully accepted

Thank you

I recommend the Auberge du Cheval Blanc in Bléré, which is close to Chenonceaux and not far from Tours. It's a Michelin one-star with reasonable prices and very good food.

There was a discussion of restaurants in the Loire Valley in this thread in March. See the topics starting on March 16.

The loveliest dining experience we've had in Paris was at Les saveurs de Flora owned and cheffed by Alain Passard-trained Flora Mikula. I have a full review on my blog - I *highly* recommend it and am thinking of eating there again when we're there in June ourselves.

I didn't know when I ate there, but read somewhere after that Flora has 1 Michelin star. I don't know if this is true or not - I can't find the article again.

Eating there was like eating in a little pink jewel box and the service and food were exquisite.

Here's their web site. They have a menu online (in French). We were happily there in white Alba truffle season.

As I seem to have been saying, ad infinitum, recently on this board, I loved Christian Constant's one-star Le Violon d'Ingres,

Hi Sydney Girl: We're going in July. I found a web site, here on SloTrav that I enjoyed: http://troi.cc.rochester.edu/~tdip/tomsguidetoparis.htm

It has a lot of interesting recommendations. Check it out...Pete

If you really want the 3* experience, check out the lunch prices -- several of these restaurants have a reasonable (at least in comparison to dinner) lunch of about 70€. Moderator Doru is especially fond of L'Astrance -- even loved it before it was recently crowned with its 3rd *.

Several restaurants and approximate prices are recommended by Patricia Wells here on her website.

Thank you to everyone for their suggestions, there is plenty of food for thought here
so I'm off to research the suggestions
Merci

We ran into a similar problem with looking at an EXPENSIVE dinner. So we went to the fancy restaurant for LUNCH - the portions were not as large but the food is the same (maybe not all places) and the prices are much more reasonable (note - not cheap). There was still plenty to eat.

Thank Tom -great tip

I am not as fond of three stars as I am of one and two stars. I find them generally fussy. I had many wonderful dinners at Violin 'd Ingres but I also like the one star L' Angle du Fourbourg. It is the baby bistro of Tallivent.

quote:

Originally posted by BarbaraM48:
I am not as fond of three stars as I am of one and two stars. I find them generally fussy.

That is my general problem with all restaurants from 2 stars upward. They are just not festive. Call me petit bourgeoise. I don't eat in a place like that everyday. Usually it is for a celebration. But some of them really do not put one in the mood. Does anyone know of a festive convent?
One exception: there were 8 of us once at the old Lucas Carton. Well, WE made it festive, short of dancing on table (but i was tempted o how.)