Wine pairing is probably too extreme a description. I should have said: "the server's recommendations." But whatever you call them, they were underwhelming at best. Ho hum.

Pti, I'm an idiot. Serves me right for typing when tired. Yes, of course, aiguillette.

One meeting, two meals: My kind of ratio.

Pirouette
Went with high expectations. Came away underwhelmed. We decided to forego the plats du jour and order from the carte, starting with yellow beet roasted in a salt crust, ricotta and lemon, and asparagus with lardo di colonnata and jus corsé. The beet was presented in all its crusty glory prior to being dissected, which touch of pretension I found at odds with the overall casual vibe of the place. The end plate was just a bit off-balance – the beet too salty and the lemon curd too sweet. The recommended pairing of a 2011 Morgon? Meh. The asparagus was good, solid product, though cooked a bit too al dente for me. It came with ham, not lardo, and the jus was a touch salty. I was extremely suspicious of the suggested Crozes-Hermitage pairing, and rightfully so. Should have listened to instinct. The mains: Rack of lamb, kidneys and sweetbreads with eggplant, and duck breast with crispy foie cakes and “déclinaison de maïs” (polenta cakes, popcorn and baby corn). Perhaps we’d lingered too long over our starters, but both mains were overcooked and undersauced. The proposed reds (Cotes-du-Rhone and Médoc) were serviceable. We decided to split the Ossau Iraty and confiture de cérises noires. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Basically, the order got forgotten—and in what I hope was the rush to make up for it, rather than a flawed concept, the cheese came out ice cold. At least they comped us the cheese and coffees. 112 € for two. Would I go back? It was a convenient place to meet a friend coming from the far side of Paris. But I don’t get to Paris often enough to give it another try when there are so many other options awaiting.

Pierre Sang
I texted my partner at 6.50 pm, saying, "This bodeth not well. Standing in line with one Anglo-American couple, one Japanese couple and three Chinese hipsters." But lo, I was wrong to be such an anti-tourist snob (saith she, the tourist).
Can I just say that Pierre Sang gets the prize for the most personable and least pretentious chef I've seen in action in a long time? Prime example: A stagiaire was on the line tonight, and the chef kept reprimanding him for plating and prep errors. Then I watched him plate a second round of dsserts, noticed that he'd done it differently and wondered what Pierre Sang would do. The answer: He started to lecture the hapless stagiaire, then cocked his head, looked at it and said, "Tu sais, c'est plus joli comme ca. Bravo!" :o)
My six courses for 38 €: (1) Puree of white asparagus, green asparagus tips, pickled shallots, wasabi pea crumble. (2) Seared tuna, sesame seeds, carrot-cumin puree, chorizo, white carrot brunoise. (3) Veal tartare, ramps, cornichons, crispy potato batons. (4) Cuillette de boeuf, potato puree, kimchi, veal jus. (5) Tomme de chèvre de Pyrenees, banana-vermouth compote, black pepper. (6) Green tea sponge, coconut-lemongrass cream, gariguettes, pineapple granite. The dessert was the weak link, but many of the other dishes made me chuckle with pleasure. And the combo of kimchi and creamy potato puree was a revelation. Two glasses of kick-ass natural wine (2011 Bergerac blanc and 2010 Costières de Nimes) added another 9 € to the bill. Max the sommelier *seriously* knows his stuff. I'd go again just to see what he comes up with next.

Has anyone been to Assaggi in Notting Hill recently? I had an excellent lunch there several years ago...but it wasn't cheap.

I'll be in Paris for meetings next Tuesday. I've already booked lunch at Pirouette (yay!) and am trying to squeeze in a dinner before my 9.55 train back to Brussels.

I'd love to try either Pierre Sang (opens at 7 - how early would I have to get there to be the first in the door?) or Le 6 Paul Bert (holding a reservation for 7.30).

Counting in travel time, I'd have only 1.5 (6PB) to maximum 2 hours (PSB) for dinner. The good news is that I'd be dining solo, which tends to go quicker.

But do you think either of these would be really doable, and enjoyable, in the time allowed?

And if so...which would you recommend? I feel like I'm in flip-a-coin territory.

First recommendation on where to start: the search function in the upper right-hand corner. :o)

Type in phrases like "best Indian London," "fish and chips London," etc. You will be rewarded with a wealth of input, and regular posters won't need to keep reinventing the wheel. Do some reading, see what appeals and then come back with some more specific questions (including your budget, where you'll be staying, etc.).

I'm not a huge fan of Chez Casimir (I'd rather spend my money at just about any of the other places on your list), but it's perfectly serviceable and would be fine for a solo diner.

I've had a handful of solo meals at L'Office and have enjoyed every one. As a rule, places with bar seating are my favourites when I'm alone, and L'Office's owner Charles Compagnon is lovely to talk to!

I'm a bit bored with Les Papilles (been there four times and every bloody time the braised dish has included sun dried tomatoes and a snow pea, about as relevant as warts on an elephant's butt) -- but it's an absolutely lovely, snug little space and first-timers go rightfully gaga.

I'm also an outlier on Vivant -- it's a lot of money for not a lot of food (which I've NEVER complained of at any other restaurant, but I felt seriously cheated there. That said, if your friend has any interest in natural wines, there's no better place to go.

I'm sure she will have a fantastic time -- I love being on my own in Paris!

She's a 10-minute stroll from L'Office on rue Richer. They have a small bar where a solo diner is well looked after; the food is lovely; and I think everyone speaks at least a bit of English. In the same vein (distance, good food, friendly people -- but no bar) is Les Saisons on rue Lamartine. And finally, Le Bouclier de Bacchus, also on rue Lamartine, is a boisterous wine bar with quite decent food.

Dear me -- this seems to suggest an unfortunate trend rather than a slightly less unfortunate blip. It's too bad, and it makes me leery about giving them a chance to go 2 for 3.

Glad you enjoyed it. :o)

We'd been to Dans les Landes on an earlier trip (October of last year), which is when we went to Pottoka for the first time and enjoyed it so much. Report here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/871614

Heretical to say on CH, I know, but I wasn't all that impressed with Dans les Landes.

We had a very nice dinner last year with our then-three-year-old at Bocca di Lupo, just a stone's throw from Le Meridien. It's fantastic small-plate Italian; I've eaten there several times as a "solo grown-up" and was pleasantly surprised at how nice they were with kids. They offered to make him any kind of pasta he'd like, and then kept the gigante olives coming when they saw he loved them. :o)

Okay, I have to ask: In what industry are you lucky enough to work?

I'm picturing the heart attacks my accounting department would have with 1* dinner expense notes. :o)

Paul Bert is classic Paris bistro: think terrine de campagne, marinated herring, veal chops, steak tartare. Le 6 Paul Bert is just a few doors down from Paul Bert, but it’s a world apart in terms of cuisine: think small and modern plates (shaved vegetables, raw and marinated proteins, creative use of dairy).

I don't have many recs to the immediate Marais side of Bastille; we tend to go a bit further north, around Filles de Calvaire and St-Sebastien-Froissart:

Candelaria
Qui Plume la Lune
Breizh Cafe
Le Repaire de Cartouche
Au Passage

But if you extend your horizons toward the other side (11th, not 3rd), you'll be spoiled for choice:

Septime
Bones
Tintilou
Bistro Paul Bert
Le 6 Paul Bert

I feel remiss in not charting new territory, but what can I say? We had fond memories of previous meals at Pottoka and CAJ and the frigid weather called for rich, gamy lunches. Which we got. We also got some really nasty dishes.

Chez Dumonet
This is a virtual report; I sent G. there as he was in Paris for a night before we arrived, and I was curious enough to make him a guinea pig. He enjoyed the amuse-bouche (cream of spinach soup) and starter (salad of endive and Roquefort - "It's all there - bitter, sweet, sharp. I could eat the whole thing. Oh wait, I did."). And then was pleased and disappointed in equal measure by the demi-portion of boeuf bourguignon ("The sauce has bags of flavour - sweet onions, earthy mushrooms, smoky bacon. But the beef is oddly dry and bland. And the glass of Haut-Medoc does nothing for it."). He ended with the Grand Marnier souffle ("Impressive. Light and sweet, but with the heat of the liqueur and the acid of the oranges. Glad I tried it.") Overall, as will come as no surprise, the atmosphere is ur-Paris; it's a great place to take someone who's never been to France but is probably best avoided by those who have and who are averse to spending 100 euros for the above meal, which didn't rise above serviceable.

Bakkus
Right around the corner from our hotel. I was intrigued by the "you can get anything by the glass" approach, and indeed, they have a nicely curated wine list. I will be forever in their debt for introducing me to a Saumur from Romain Guiberteau, and a Montlouis demi-sec from Jacky Blot, one of my favourite Loire growers, was just the thing for my terrine of foie gras with quince (which was itself delicious). But the rest of the meal - meh. G's carrot veloute was decent but uninspired; I can't even remember what he had for a main, and my filet de bar, kind of a riff on bouillabaisse, was marred by flaccid skin, anemic rouille and under-cooked potatoes.

Chez l'Ami Jean
Not the unadulterated success of our first visit, but you can't step in the same river twice, right? Started with scallops and savoy cabbage for me and maquereau a la vapeur with foie gras for G. I almost burst into tears at my first bite, which was well-nigh inedibly salty. Thankfully, it was just a stray flurry of salt; the rest was perfect. Three immense, barely cooked scallops sat there and said, "Yep, it's all about sourcing." Sauteed chiffonade of cabbage provided an earthy, buttery counterpoint to the scallops' sweetness, and all was bathed in a jus of veal stock, lemon and piment d'espelette. G enjoyed his mackerel - again, great product - but I was less convinced by the pairing with foie gras, and I'm not a huge fan of steamed fish to begin with. Mains were gigot d'agneau and root vegetables for me, and the pigeon pot-au-feu for G. When the server asked how we wanted them cooked and we said comme le chef le veut, he said, "Well, if you order things saignant, you'll get them vivant. I prefer my pigeon and lamb rose, but here, I'd go with a point in order to get them that way." :o) Good advice for the pigeon, but the lamb was just a touch overcooked. The pot-au-feu was EXTRAORDINARY. Meaty, gamy, a broth to die for, and vegetables that made one hear choruses of cherubim. My lamb was good, but not quite at the level of the pigeon; the same root vegetables made an appearance (hurrah!) and the Jego touch of inspiration was a garnish I couldn't identify - almost like cookie crumbles or crumbs of barely cooked pate sable. I asked the server, who said he'd ask, but then we both forgot about it. In any event, a delicious counterpoint to the rich lamb. R., aka Mr. Picky, ate half my lamb.

Still love, love, love the convivial atmosphere. Wish we'd been a few tables down to get in on the action of a genial diner pouring tastes of Cote-Rotie for the tables next to him. :o) And yes, someday we WILL go there for dinner, sans enfant, and go completely nuts.

Pottoka
Sunday lunch, and we were really looking forward to it, having had only a Verot-charcuterie-and-Quatrehomme-fromage picnic in the hotel for dinner after lunch at CAJ, and no breakfast. The same cordial welcome, the same instant willingness to prepare something for R (who was SEVERELY disappointed that there were no frites on offer, and turned up his nose at the really rather lovely plate of truffled orzo "risotto" the chef sent out for him. He liked truffles when he was 2, but now at almost 4, finds them yucky. Oh well. G and I liked it!). But for me, at least, it was downhill from there. G enjoyed his starter of cochonnailles (half a dozen kinds of saucisson; surprised and saddened not to see any terrine or boudin on offer) and his main of gigot d'agneau with Tarbais beans and truffle vinaigrette. I tasted it and just couldn't see the point of the truffle. I started with the veloute of topinambours, which arrived as a beautifully arranged bowl with an unidentifiable mound of chopped stuff topped with a sable biscuit topped with a quenelle of heavily truffled creme fraiche, with a pitcher of soup to pour in. Following instructions to try to get a bit of everything on the spoon, I dug in. And then stopped, confused. It just didn't work. I still have no idea what the chopped stuff was, though I'm thinking it was more topinambour; it was just cold and unpleasant. The sable biscuit was completely out of place, and the truffled cream was so cold, and there was so much of it, that it completely overwhelmed the soup. Because the bowl was so shallow, it cooled in seconds and I was left with a chilled morass of yuckiness. I am still puzzled by it. But not as puzzled as I am by my main of volaille jaune with a lemon "lacquer" and puree of carrots and coriander. The chicken arrived in two guises: first, a cylinder of breast that had obviously been prepared in a ballotine style, pounded thin and then rolled into a tight cylinder in plastic wrapped, poached and sauteed. But ballotines are usually stuffed with something; this wasn't, so the approach seemed pointless. Second, a little brik pastry cigar of the thigh meat. And both were....well, texturally speaking, they *were* moist (although moist is not a big selling point with brik pastry...). But I almost spat out my first bite. And my second. The menu had said lemon lacquer; it should have said "overwhelmed, completely and totally overwhelmed, by essence of lemon-scented room freshener." It was seriously dreadful. I was hoping for redemption from the puree, but it tasted more of sugar than of carrots.

Did I say anything? No. Was that cowardly? Maybe. But it wasn't as if there was an element I could point to and say, yo, in an otherwise good dish, this is just not working; please fix it (as I would have done had the scallops at CAJ been uniformly salty). It was that the entire concept behind the two dishes seemed completely wrong-headed.

I'd like to think I'd give them another chance because our first visit there was so fantastic. I really want to write this off as an anomaly, or maybe there was a new chef in the kitchen. In any event, it made me really sad.

Luckily, I was able to cheer myself up with a new Le Creuset cocotte from the soldes at Galeries Lafayette. :o)

Not particularly new in the absolute (I think it's been around for a couple of years) but new on my radar screen is La Buvette (www.la-buvette.be). The chef used to be at L'Office in Paris, which is one of my favorite "bistronomie" places of this year. I've tried to get in a few times over the past month, and it's always been full...which has just solidified my resolve to go early in 2013!

Had my second meal at L'Office in the 9th this Monday -- as seems inevitable in a three-course meal, I had two hits and one relative clonker.

Clonker was the starter - an onion soup with deep-fried morsels of Gruyere. Just...meh. The broth was pleasant enough, but the cheese bits were simply chewy instead of molten, and I did NOT appreciate the "garnish" of half an onion, half-heartedly seared and wholly inedible, sitting in the middle of the bowl like a wart on an elephant's butt.

But things looked up with the main - beef cheeks, celery root puree, roasted grapes and julienned raw apple. No knife necessary - a spoon or a harsh word would have done. Lovely deep flavour, with the grapes and apple lending an unexpected and refreshing note.

Uncharacteristically, I decided on dessert: sable, lemon curd and rosemary ice cream. The ice cream was pleasant but far too timid - I wanted a real herbal hit and didn't get it. But the rest was AMAZING. Curd was creamy and bracingly tart, and the sable biscuit crust literally shattered when I poked at it. Delicious.

Total including one glass of Macon-Villages that wasn't nearly as oxidative as promised, one glass of Syrah from the second bottling of Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, whose name I'm forgetting and a coffee: 48 euros.

The place was packed (including two women from the NL edition of Marie-Claire, who embarrassed/delighted the server by insisting on taking his picture for an upcoming "36 hours in Paris" article). I sat at the bar as before -- but the experience just wasn't as nice, because owner Charles Compagnon wasn't in the house. Oh well.

Looking for an excellent dinner before catching my train. I had the immense pleasure of eating at L'Office about a month ago and would be happy to go back. But it's been a good 5-6 years since I've eaten at Chez Michel and I was feeling nostalgic.

Has anyone had any great recent experiences there -- or conversely, some dreadful ones to warn me away?

(From what I understand, Chez Michel has also gotten quite pricey, has it not?)

Thank you, klyeoh, but it's not really a question of courage.

It's simply that after 13+ years in a city utterly starved of decent Indian/Pakistani restaurants, I have no shame and no guilt whatsoever. :o)

Update on Tayyabs: Largely yum. Seekh kebabs did not take well to reheating (and who can blame them?), but the tender, juicy, spicy lamb chops, amazingly, did. The saag gosht, chicken tikka and chana were all excellent. The urad dal was nicely spiced but was a bit pasty; perhaps I've been spoilt by too many makhani dals in the past. The only misfires were the dry meat (excellent flavour but the beef--which just seems a wrong meat choice anyway--was unpleasantly chewy) and the tinda masala. I had high hopes for the latter, but the "pumpkin" was unlike anything I've ever seen/tasted before...or want to again. Slimy, stringy, nasty. Lesson learned.

Oh - and if someone can direct me to a curry house which takes pilau AT ALL seriously, I'd appreciate it. Three cubes of diced carrot, six desiccated peas and a sprinkle of cumin seed do not a proper pilau make, in my book.

Thank you - mystery solved!

That's it exactly. Probably my favourite of the meat dishes on offer.

Had to go to London for work, so made a weekend of it with partner and child. As usual, a great time was had by all. Here's the chow report:

Mohsen

MEAT. The MEAT. I’m sure we did no justice at all to the subtleties of Iranian cuisine, but I had a brain spasm on arrival and couldn’t remember specific dishes I’d read about on Chowhound. Partner had gorgeous lamb chops; we ordered a “chicken kebab” for Mr Picky 3 Year Old which turned out to be approximately 4 chickens’ worth of meat gorgeously marinated and cooked; I had a lamb shank with rice, dill and broad beans. All yummy. We started with a puree of garlic, walnuts and eggplant, which was excellent; but can someone explain how we *should* have eaten the “cheese and herbs”? For some reason I thought it would be rather like labneh, but what arrived was a chunk of feta (or similar) with a big bunch of tarragon, coriander and mint. We improvised, making little tartines of the (fantastic) naan, the aubergine spread, cheese and herbs. Did we do right?

Casa Brindisa

Chosen for its promixity to the Natural History Museum, where we took the wee one ice skating before lunch. Better than I’d expected. A total madhouse, which meant even with a booking, we and our friends had to huddle outside for about 20 minutes before the table was ready. But once installed, we really enjoyed just about everything we ordered. Standouts included: chorizo, an excellent basic tortilla, gambas al ajillo, patatas bravas, deep fried Monte Enebro with orange blossom honey, croquetas de jamon y pollo and butifarra con mongetes. Those sausages were EXCELLENT. And you know what? In writing this, I realise we never got the padron peppers we ordered. Didn’t see the bill; hope we weren’t charged.

Great Queen Street

Conveniently located and remarkably child-friendly, but I wouldn’t go back. Partner’s roast partridge with mushrooms and spelt was sadly overcooked; my lemon sole was nicely cooked but seriously let down by the accompanying veg – salsify was way too crunchy, and wild fennel tasted of…nothing. We did enjoy the gorgeous pork and game rillettes we split for a starter, but…meh.

Bombay Brasserie

Had contemplated Quilon but couldn’t pass up BB’s proximity – literally 4 minutes from our hotel’s front door, so perfect after long sunny morning in Hyde Park. Was I blown away? No. Do I think the lunch buffet is good value for money? Absolutely. As noted elsewhere on the board, the made-to-order starters were the stars of the show; I could have eaten plate after plate of the bhel puri (maybe a touch too sweet) and sev batata puri. Also gorgeous crispy prawns with mint chutney and…little croquettes of spiced mashed potato, if that makes any sense (drawing a blank on the name). One thing I loved was a simple papdi with a shot glass of spicy, tangy (tamarind-based???) liquid. Pour in the liquid and pop in the mouth. Can anyone tell me what it was?
Mains fell off a bit: khumb palak was like Tesco babyfood and dal was quite bland but aloo jeera, mirch chana and pilau were good; partner enjoyed the tandoori chicken legs, chicken korma and…oh drat, what was it called? The name looked more Mayan than Indian – lamb xacutli? Even the naan exceeded expectations. Would probably go back if we stay in the neighbourhood again; certainly kid friendly with loads of Indian families.

Arbutus

Was the food stellar? No. Did I have a great time? Yes. I was dining solo and sat at the bar; the barman took excellent care of me, giving me tastings not only of the things he was pouring for me, but of just about everything he poured for anyone else. :o) Starter was a complete misfire: what I thought would be roasted scallops with potato puree turned out to be scallop and sea-vegetable tartare with cold potato foam. My mistake for not asking…it reminded me of a deranged American potato salad. But the Galician Albarino (2011 Terras Gauda Rias Baixas) I drank with it was superb. The main – haunch of venison with roasted Jerusalem artichokes and spaetzle – was perfectly fine, though the beautifully cooked venison could have used a bit more seasoning. Eric proposed a 2006 Bordeaux; I tasted it, wrinkled my nose and opted for a Montepulciano. As I was eating, I saw him call over the head waiter, ask him to taste the wine and then pour it out. He came back to apologise for the wine not being in good condition and said the Montepulciano was on the house. Wasn’t planning on pudding, but we’d had a lengthy conversation about cheese as I ate so I consented to some Lincolnshire Poacher (trying to be reasonable after a cheese orgy at Neal’s Yard the previous day!). Which came with…Cornish Yarg, Shropshire Blue and Ardrahan “just because” and a complimentary glass of 1986 Port “because it’s a shame to have cheese on its own.” Would I go back? Only if I called ahead to see if the barman was going to be on duty!

Harwood Arms

LOVED this place. Can see why it gets the hype: chilled atmosphere, the kind you want a neighbourhood pub to have; extraordinary wine list; really good food. Starters: crispy hen’s egg with white bacon, artichokes and celeriac puree plus chestnut soup with mushrooms and spelt, with pheasant rillettes toast on the side. Enjoyed my egg, which was ever so slightly overcooked to my taste, but friend’s soup stole the show: an autumnal walk in a bowl. But my main took its revenge: crispy pork belly, braised pork cheek, apple puree, roasted celeriac and cabbage. Pork nirvana! Friend also enjoyed beef short rib with fried potatoes and smoked bone marrow. With two glasses of wine apiece: 50 GBP per person.

Cinnamon Kitchen

Bitterly disappointed that I had to cancel my reservation at St John Bread and Wine because meetings ran late, but quite pleased with this substitute in Devonshire Square, suggested by my colleague. He’d forgotten the name so when we pitched up I was dubious (my partner had had a less than stellar meal a while back at Cinnamon Club, its sister restaurant). But really, the 15 GBP lunch was quite good value for money. Had Bombay mixed veg pau with a lovely kick to it followed by “stir-fried Hyderabadi baby aubergines” (cue renewed dubiousness). The aubergines were lovely, with slightly charred bitterness playing off a deep, slightly sweet sauce. Add in some serviceable naan and a stellar mango lassi (garnished with a thin slice of dehydrated mango sprinkled with something quite sour – amchoor, maybe?) and I was happy. Service was a bit all over the place, but setting was perfectly nice.

Tayyabs

Okay, this is cheating, because we haven’t eaten it yet. I timed my last meeting so I could sprint out to Whitechapel and pick up a load of takeaway before heading straight to St Pancras. So my massive order perfumed my Eurostar carriage: 2 orders of lamb chops, seekh kebabs, dry meat, saag gosht, chicken tikka, chana, tinda masala and pilau. Really looking forward to dinner. :o)

The joker in the pack! :o) Same price point must mean they do their set lunch at the weekend? That's rather cool, and rather unusual (at least from Brussels/Paris perspective, where prix fixe are M-F only). Should I call and check, as that would be a rude awakening if it's only a la carte?

Oh lord, howler - I've just looked at the website and am feeling my traditional panic when faced with zillions of choices: the fear that I will always order the two things on the menu that AREN'T any good. Any specific recommendations at Sichuan Folk?

(I shamefacedly admit to not being keen on offal. It's a texture thing.)

I can certainly try...but work constraints will probably keep us within a 10-minute radius of the office. Boo.

Argh - just saw that Upstairs is only open for lunch Thurs-Sat. Too bad, because the menu looks lovely!

I hear you on the convenience front - I've had to curb my natural tendency to travel, Napoleon-like, on my stomach when the young one is in tow. That said, I've certainly dragged him hither and yon in search of good food in just about every city we visit. :o)

It's been quite a while since we've been to Tayyabs. We've tended to opt for Lahore the past few years, but have been disappointed on recent visits. So casting the net a bit further right now; but you're right, even between Tayyabs and Lahore there's a significant difference in elbow room and level of frenzy (I don't mind frenzy at all, but being hustled out the door as soon as one is done eating is unpleasant).

Still moderately curious about Zing, which would be a pretty easy 25-minute commute. It sounded fantastic two years ago, but haven't heard more recent raves.

Thanks, MIT. Hadn't heard of Upstairs, so will check that out. Not sure if my colleague on the day will be feeling St-John-ish but will do my best to convince. :o) And I may do Wild Honey/Arbutus for my Sunday dinner after Zuriga's input on NOPI below!

Thanks, deansa. Tsuru might well suit, as it's just a quick lunch between meetings. Colleague is pescatarian, so steakhouses out.