Paris November 2009

We collected 3 Michelin Stars in Paris on 11 - 17 November, 2009. It was a trip focused on Art, with the excellent exhibits of Tiffany at Luxembourg, Louis XIV at Versailles, the Otoman Empire at the Grand Palais, and Titian et al. at Le Louvre.

We chose the Hotel De Sers, the old Residence of the Marquis de Sers because it was the onlt 5 star hotel at a reasonable price and because of its excellent location between the 8me and the 16me, and two doors from the George V. Big mistake. The decoration was rather Kitsch, a mixture of classic with minimalist. The room was tiny, and the shower did not have a curtain or door because, we were told "that's how the design is." Absurd, not recommendable under any point of view, despite whatever any Hotel Guide may say.

The first evening we rushed to Le Relais de L'Entrecote in Saint Germain (20, rue Saint-Benoît), one of our all-time favorites because of its unique environment, always full and noisy, and where all one can choose is the wine, the desert, and the meat's term, (the salad, les frittes, and the meat are obligatory). A great disillusion, because they seem to have changed the formulas! the salad dressing is different, the meat sauce is also different, and the fries were overcooked, causing Illuminata's protestation and thus the appearance of fresher fries. We asked if they have changed ownership, but this was flatly denied. We don't believe them.

Lunch at Devez (5, pl de l'Alma), highly recommendable because of location and views, service, and the quality of the ingredients. Very wortwhile, quite different from a typical tourist bistro.

On Saturday, lunch at La Tour d'Argent (1 Michelin Star). Service, decoration, and food was impeccable. The wine list is the size of a large phone book, we decided for the 2000 Cantemerle 2000, perfect with th Duck. We were approached by the new owner, Andre Terrail, the son of legendary Claude Terrail, who died in 2006. This time we were not able to visit the wine cellar because it is being repaired, but Andre asked us to call him next time so that he can personally show it to us. He gave us his card. The improvement is evident, and it is obvious that they are doing their best to recover their stars (they went from 3 to 2, and now they are at 1).

Dinner at Les Bouquinistes was expensive and unimpressive. It is one more bistro from the Guy Savoy Empire, with refined French food but in an environment that is too aseptic and artificial. Don't go there.

Finally, dinner at Le Cinq (2 Michelin Stars), at the George V Hotel. Everything was spectacular and perfect, with great attention to detail. The decoration is opulent and grandiose, yet not tacky like in the case of Alain Ducasse. The Autumn Prix Fix is a gastronomic trip without comparison, exquisite, with strong flavors, paired with exceptional and perfect wines for each dish. The sommelier was first class. Expensive, but highly recommended.

P.S. Some people believe that we have the best gastronomy in the world: it is true that Lima has become a gastronomic capital, and we can eat almost as good as in Paris (perhaps AS good). Nevertheless, in Lima we don't have restaurants in the true sens of the world: gastronomy is not just food, but the entire experience. We dont have ambiance or decoration. We lack grandiosity. And we lack service, not just referred to attention (which in general is bad), but also referred to all other details: fine crystal, starched table clothes, linen napkins, and decent wine lists...