If you like the idea of an all-duck menu, then Au Petit Sud Ouest fits the bill. Their magret is cooked perfectly (assuming you order it rosé, that is), and they have a nice confit de canard and cassoulet as well. They have toasters on the table so you can have fresh toast with your foie gras. Best of all, the owners are two of the nicest people. I think it's a great place to get your canard fix.

Excellent report, thanks!!

Thanks, this was great!

No kidding. When I suggested Coutume, I didn't know the OP lived here, nor was I suggesting it was the best coffee one could find on the earth, nor that they were humble, unhip, or the perfect balance of non-snobbery meets passionate unassuming knowledge of crafting the perfect cup.

I just meant that they know coffee and they speak English, so they could probably tell someone how to find what they're looking for. It's a 3 minute bike ride for me, so no pilgrim gear required, although that 15 minute trek on the metro sounded horrendous.

Oh I cringed reading about eating sandwiches and bad beef bourg!! What a shame! It makes me so sad to know that so many people do this because they don't research first, and then walk away from Paris saying they didn't like the food. This time you'll do it right. You've come to the right place, there is such a wealth of knowledge here, but I'll admit that the CH search feature isn't always the best. If you search "chowhound 15th" or "chowhound 7th" in Google, something will pop up to direct you to a good post, and then it will automatically recommend other related posts that should be helpful. Here's a few recommendations you can look into in the meantime:

Le Cornichon (This is just south of where you're staying, near Montparnasse cemetery)
Josephine Chez Dumonet (6th) - Also not too far, and where you can find some proper beef bourgignon.

7th:
Au Petit Sud Ouest (all duck dishes so you can try some magret or confit de canard, very friendly owners)
Les Cocottes & Cafe Constant (no reservations)
Violon d'Ingres
l'Affriolé

15th:
Le Casse Noix
Le Grand Pan

Since you're staying near Montparnasse, you could just as easily go northeast rather than southwest and find Les Papilles, l'Avant Comptoir, Comptoir du Relais (Sat/Sun), Semilla. And don't be afraid to hop on a metro and go to some of the other places that are raved about here.

I've eaten in Paris restaurants plenty of times by myself. If you're not used to doing that, then Les Cocottes is a good choice to start with because you can sit at the bar. Also l'Avant Comptoir, which is standing room only.

You're off to a good start! Just remember you need to make reservations almost everywhere. I remember one of my first trips to Paris where I first started doing research for restaurants, and I had my list but didn't know to reserve, so I walked from place to place being told "Sorry, complet." I just didn't know. If you want a dining buddy one night, I'm always looking for excuses to try somewhere new. Just let me know. Happy researching!

Oh absolutely! You can get wine anywhere, but the juices were something else. Even more unique flavors to enjoy. I would recommend them in place of wine as well.

Thanks DLC & kubasd! We were in search of that elusive 4th...glad it worked out, we were just so short on time to find someone. DLC, I do remember the timing was close but you were already gone. Shame!

You could go to Coutume in the 7th and talk with them about what you're looking for while having a fantastic cup. They're very knowledgeable, roast their own single-origin beans, and the owner is an Aussie, so they're very English friendly. Even if they don't have exactly what you're looking for, you could get yourself a very good bag of freshly ground beans, or just a good cup, and find out what you should ask for depending on what coffee flavors you enjoy. They offer a nice brunch on Sundays, too. 47 Rue de Babylon

Glad to hear it! What did you order?

Just wanted to report back on my experience at Noma in Copenhagen. Photos and descriptions can be found here for anyone interested:

http://mustbefrench.blogspot.fr/2012/...

Absolutely loved it.

Good catch, thanks.

What a shame! So sorry to hear that. These are open on Sunday but you would still need to call and reserve:

Pierre Sang Boyer
Semilla
Fish
Glou
Terroir Parisien
La Grande Cascade (for a fun/fancier experience)
Chez Casimir (cheese plate!!)
Le Chapeau Melon
Les Fines Gueules

I can only think of three others off the top of my head that don't take reservations, so you can just show up, but I'd suggest getting there early since it's Sunday night:

Le Comptoir du Relais
L'Avant Comptoir (standing only)
Cafe Constant (you already went to Cocottes so I'd try others)

I'd say spend 5 minutes trying to call some places, and if everyone is booked, then just decide to go early to one of the other places and enjoy your day in Paris. Good luck, hope you find something that you enjoy!

Weeknights at dinner (the reservations that seem impossible to obtain) are a "gastronomic" no-choice menu, and supposed to be really wonderful. Lunches and weekends are their standard brasserie menu, but they have a lot of choices and are often well done. I ordered a beef shoulder the other week that was wonderful, and my dining companions enjoyed their choices as well. It sounds like weeknight evenings are really enjoyable and well worth pursuing, but I think the normal menu is nice as well.

Awww I wish I would have come to the Great Canadian!! I was on a long group bike ride for a friend's birthday - the goal was to ride through every arrondisement from the 20th to the 1st, stopping in each one for a photo, drink, or snack. By the time I got to the 6th it was 1am. I still can't believe you saw Maygan & Kyle twice! You have to come back, and we'll all dine together!!

Your list looks great, I'm sure you'll enjoy all of them! Thoumieux I think is good but not stand out. Comptoir du Relais is all but impossible for the weeknight gastronomique menus. You pretty much have to stay at the hotel. I ate there on a Sunday night, and they said for the weeknight reservation, you have to ask at the hotel. We walked over to the hotel, and the guy said they were booked until January, so to just call at 2pm the same day and see if there are cancellations. I said, okay, we'll just reserve for January. But he refused to let us reserve and kept saying to call at 2pm. It was the weirdest thing. All that to say - Sounds like they only let hotel guests reserve, and then if anything is available the same day, we minions can attempt to join. Comptoir due Relais is still great on weekend nights and for lunch though, just have to wait. Go early. You'll love everything else on your list, and it's a good mix of traditional/bistro/contemporary/fusion. Go for it!

Last week, I had a long awaited reservation at Frenchie. Back in July, I was eating with friends at Frenchie Wine Bar, so we decided to reserve for the restaurant while we were there. First available wasn't until October, 3 months later, on a Thursday night at 9:30pm, but we took it and waited.

The five of us were excited that the night had finally come after all this waiting, and two of our party had never been, so they were looking forward to it even more. The meal was really nice for the most part (one person's fish was overcooked), but everything else was really enjoyable.

Then at the end of the evening while we were still finishing our wine, the server brought us our bill before we asked for it. We all live here and speak French, so this wasn't a gesture of helping out the Americans who may not know that you're supposed to ask for it. He did this to the other remaining tables as well. I found that off-putting, but we continued to finish our wine before reaching for the bill and paying up. We had all been discussing getting digestifs and coffee, but now felt like we couldn't.

Five minutes later, the server came over with the credit card machine and asked if we could pay so they could close the register. Now I understand that it's late and you've been working all day, and you want to go home, but you shouldn't have a 9:30 seating if you're not prepared to allow people to finish. Or at least just say, "I'm so sorry to ask this, but we're just trying to close out the register, would you mind paying, but feel free to finish your wine, don't feel rushed." He wasn't even apologetic about it.

One person asked what time they closed since we were being rushed to pay (perhaps they have an official closing time and we've all gone past it?), and he said "when everyone leaves". He then just sat there and processed everyone's cards without saying a word.

This really tainted what was otherwise a wonderful evening. It's not like we were the only table left. So to bring us the bill without us asking, before we were finished, not even ask if we want a coffee, and then come over with the machine to force us out., without any semblance of apology about it?

I guess Frenchie is so popular that it doesn't matter how they treat their guests because other people will line up to take the table anyway. Maybe I'm overreacting, but this really tainted the whole experience and certainly doesn't make me want to jump through hoops to reserve, wait 3 months, and spend 100€ just to feel like a nuisance.

Just thought I'd share, as I found this very strange.

Great report and looking forward to more. I'm glad to hear Spring is still going strong. I haven't been for dinner since last November, but I've always had excellent meals there. (Except for the lobster sandwiches in August which I was not impressed by, particularly the burnt fries.) I have a reservation in a few weeks and am looking forward to it.

I'll be interested to hear about your experience at Chez l'Ami Jean. I usually love it and it has been a long standing favorite, but last time I went, I wasn't wowed at all. In fact, a few dishes were poorly prepared and came luke warm. Couldn't tell if it was an off night or trouble adjusting to the new 10-course format. Just disappointed for the first time.

I've just been reading several posts & reviews lately where people have mentioned plats not being that great, or where they know of something exceptional on the menu and have asked for it in place of their main course options, so it made me curious if this was the case anywhere else, as I didn't even know that was possible.

For example, I went to Le Cinq last year and was not at all impressed with my fish, which was under-seasoned and tepid. I'm not the kind of girl to leave anything behind, but I left most of it just having no desire to finish it. DLCM recently mentioned subbing a 17-hour lamb shoulder at Le Cinq, and had I known that was an option when I went there, I would have done that, as it sounds incredible! I know Le Cinq is not a 3-star, I'm just using this as an example of the sort of thing I'm talking about. I'm just trying to learn from the experience and knowledge of others, having none in this category myself.

The macaroni castle for example - just curious if there's anything special like that to look out for. And another thread talked about a restaurant where certain ALC items were better than the lunch menu, so you were better off paying a little more and getting those instead.

Perhaps there's nothing else specific to look out for or to be aware of, but I thought it was worth asking just in case.

Okay, good to know. If these places do not change in a year or so, then I have plenty of info and will just go off of that. I've been reading so many different threads and blogs and differing opinions spread over a 3 year period that it's all jumbled together, so I thought I'd just ask for any quick recent opinions if anyone had been in the past year. I actually tried to delete this post about an hour afterwards, realizing that most people would probably be annoyed by this request because there's so much info out there, but it wouldn't let me.

And I'm not considering Le Cinq as an option since I do want to try a 3-star; I was only mentioning it in the sense that people had mentioned subbing a lamb shoulder for the plat option on Le Cinq's menu, and I wondered if that was something people recommended anywhere else. I went there for my birthday last year and my plat was mediocre, but the rest of it was a wonderful experience.

More specifically, do you have any recommendations like subs or additions for a tasting menu - For example, Uhockey recommended getting the macaroni castle as an extra at Ledoyen - Do most people agree that even though it's 98€, it's that good that it's worth it? And someone on the recent Le Cinq thread talked about subbing the slow cooked lamb shoulder at Le Cinq - I didn't even know it was an option to ask for a substitute. That's the kind of info I'd love to know! Or perhaps specific a la carte items are preferable to a lunch menu. Otherwise, I will just get whatever lunch menu is available.

I've been trying to find the most recent posts on opinions about the various 3 star restaurants in Paris but mostly come across reports and opinions from over a year ago. So if there is a recent thread already existing, feel free to point me there instead.

I've never been to a 3 Michelin star restaurant in Paris, and this is one of my goals this year before my birthday in a month. If you were to choose one, which would you choose?

I enjoyed the way that Souphie summed up some places in a thread from 2010:

"Gagnaire is a very crazy, exciting experience, sometimes delicious, always memorable. Le Cinq is hyper-welcoming and luxurious, with food that can be dazzling. L'Arpège is a one-man show centered on vegetables in which the main character (Passard) is not always present or inspired. All are truly exceptional restaurants, but in differerent ways."

I guess that's what I'm looking for...a sum-up of your favorites so I can best figure out what to choose. Or just your opinion on why you'd choose some over others. I've always enjoyed the food reports and photos from L'Arpege so the food itself draws me there, Ledoyen seems to get consistent rave reviews for excellence of technique, and Gagnaire is appealing because "crazy, exciting & memorable" sounds like fun. Just looking for any updates within the past year of why I may want to consider one place over another.

I live in Paris, so yes, I could try more than one, and hopefully I will, but budget is a factor that prevents me from going to as many places as I would like.

Appreciate any thoughts or opinions you may have!

Yes I did get a job before moving. Getting a visa is the hardest part! I lucked out by getting in for the last year our company was able to sponsor visas.

Yes it's crazy, but I love it!! I actually prefer the crazy boisterous atmosphere, but of course this is personal preference. I just have to know I'll probably have to wait when I arrive, the waiters are going to be running around like crazy and may not be able to refill my water or be too attentive, Jego will be yelling out orders and clapping his hands, and I'll def be elbow to elbow with people. But I find the bustling atmosphere to be one of the greatest things about this place - Truly fitting the idea of good quality food in a non-stuffy atmosphere. It's so unassuming from the outside on quiet little Rue Malar, and then inside, it's a party! I usually end up making friends with my table neighbors...I find it so wonderful! But again...personal preference. Others find it unpleasant. But you've been to both services, so you know how it is! I say embrace it! :)

I love this!! Man I really need to up my purse game! Plastic wedge, genius.

Sounds like a good value. Hope there is salt on the table for some seasoning fixes. :) Look forward to trying it out. Thanks for the review!

Thank you, everyone!! All of this is extremely helpful...exactly what I was looking for and more! I'm confident that I WILL catch the bug. I'm about to open a whole new door! Very excited...thank you thank you!

What!! Boxing!! I was there the night he hurt it (apparently it happened after the dinner service), and when I came back with some friends the next week, Jego and two of the waiters (the sweet 16-yr-old looking boy and likely FW), told me a different story, much less cool and interesting than a boxing injury. He should stick with that. But that's hilarious that we got different versions!

My question is how do I get in on some hound dinners?? I'm ready to know some faces. I'm sure there's a special rite of passage involved. But Chowhound was such an integral part to my journey of becoming food-obsessed with Paris several years ago that everyone holds a special place in my heart. Plus I have so many places to try on my ever-growing list, and not enough friends willing to put their budget towards it. I would like to submit my apprentice eater application. Someone please give me the secret initiation rules.

You will find lots of info and differing opinions on the boards about Chez l'Ami Jean, just between St. Dominque and l'Université on Rue Malar. It's personally my favorite for a fun, bustling, hectic good time with delicious food, smashed in with other people as Jego yells across the room. Much calmer but just as delicious at lunch. This would be my pick in the 7th. Usually the 55€ Petit Voyager tasting menu is a good bet.

Les Fables de la Fontaine at Rue de la Exposition & St. Dominique - Fresh, delicious, well cooked seafood in a small, quiet setting. for a nice evening. I had an incredible sole meuniere there, and I have done there tasting menu several times as well, which usually has more modern & creative touches. I highly recommend the basil-wrapped prawns as a starter.

Pottoka down the street on Exposition, by the same owners, has a delicious beef cheek, but I've only eaten there twice. Good neighborhood spot.

Thomieux on Dominique

Au Petit Sud Ouest on Ave de la Bourdonnais is delicious if you like duck. Specializing in southwest cuisine, with a homey rustic atmosphere and maybe the friendliest, sweetest owners I've ever met. Cassoulet, duck confit, magret de canard, daube, toasters on every table to have warm toast with your foie gras.

For something totally different, there is a tiny Martinique restaurant on Agereau called Chez Lucie. The owner Didier and his wife are from Martinique. She cooks, he serves, and he is so friendly and cheerful and has the best laugh. They have a smoked chicken that is fall-apart tender, and the appetizer platter is delicious. If you go, be very careful when Didier brings out the bowl of spicy tepanade-looking stuff in olive oil. The tiniest speck sets your mouth on fire, and that is no exaggeration.

Akrame in the 16th

L'Arpege is supposed to be pretty outstanding, on the other side of Invalides

Auguste

(I would definitely suggest reservations for all of these.)

Coutume on the other side of Invalides heading towards the 6th has some of the best coffee in Paris, and they often have some nice easy sandwich/soup/pasta-type lunch options (not a restaurant though, definitely a coffee shop).

Best options if you want a solid meal but don't want to go across town or don't have reservations:

Les Cocottes or Cafe Constant on Dominique. Nothing mind blowing, sometimes great dishes, sometimes so-so but consistently, they provide a good, easy meal and friendly service for a good price.

Rue Cler has 3 cafes open daily serving around the clock. Good for a very reasonably priced basic meal on a pretty street. If you're looking for somewhere to eat on a Sun/Mon or for a quick lunch or coffee, these are atmospheric, but not eating destinations by any means.

As for Jules Verne, I've head mixed reviews. Fun experience I'm sure to eat on the Eiffel Tower, and you get to use the private elevator, but there are so many other options in that price range that I think would provide a more outstanding meal. There is another restaurant on the 1st level that is much cheaper if you just want the experience of eating on the Tower. Also, you can go to the nearby Quai Branley museum for coffee or a drink to have a great view looking at the Tower.

As for sweets in your area, you'll see Michel Chaudon on l'Université and his little cocoa dusted pavé chocolates. And at the end of Rue Cler there is a Jean-Paul Hevin, who I think has the most underrated macarons in the city. Secco on Jean Nicot has some nice pastries as well and a pretty shop.

Anyway, hope that gives you some ideas. Happy eating!

I actually live in the 15th, so as boring as many find it to be, I'm excited to hear about some new spots - good honest cooking that I can hop on my bike and ride over to! I didn't at all get the impression that you were suggesting "must eats" for people who visit, but as exactly what you said - places the locals are eating, good food surrounded by French people! And happy to try new places, so thanks for the recs!

Asian is my favorite type of cuisine, but I rarely cook Asian recipes at home (except for Thai curry), and I want to start doing this on a regular basis. Any suggestions on where to buy a wok in Paris? The 13th seems like an obvious area to head to, but I'm just not familiar with any of the stores.

I'd like to get a wok first and eventually a rice steamer if I can find one that's not too expensive.

I also plan to visit an Asian grocery store within the week to stock up on the basics for cooking at home. I'm planning to stick to healthy versions of stir fry, Thai dishes, soups, and rice noodles. Any suggestions for must-have staples would be greatly appreciated as well!

Thanks for your help!