John Talbott's Paris

FAQ: “John. Any must restaurants to recommend? I have been reading your blog, but I can't tell which ones are really musts.”

This is probably the most common question I’m asked.  So as a guide to the perplexed, here are the ones I’ve been most impressed with since the rentree that I rated higher than 6/10:

8.5 Jean-Louis Nomicos
8.0 110 Taillevent
Sergent Recuiter
7.5 Petit Champarret
Premices
Vivant
7.2 Felicity Lemon
Clandestino
7.1 Abri
Marloe
7.0 6 Paul Bert
Garance
6.9 Crom’Exquis
6.8 Atelier Vivanda
6.7 L’Office version iv
6.5 La Gagnage
La Verre Moutarde
6.4 Flamboire
6.3 Les Degres de Notre Dame
6.2  Jeanne B.
Novices
6.1 Mamou
Jin Xin Lou

Not forgetting those that opened on the cusp of the summer vacation:
7.5 Pierre Sang in Oberkampf
Flora
Pirouette

John’s Top Restos and Bistros Rated over 6/10 for 2012.

8.3 MaSa aka Masa in Boulogne-Billancourt
8.0 l'Escargot aka L'Escargot 1903 in Puteaux
7.5 Flora, Pirouette, Vivant, Pierre Sang Boyer
7.2 Clandestino
7.1 Bistro Volney, Abri, Marloe
7.0 Sens Unique, Le 122, Les Jalles, La Table d'Aki, A La Marguerite, Excoffier, Garance
6.9 Les Saisons, Crom'Exquis
6.8 Bigarrade, Atelier Vivanda
6.7 L'Office
6.6 Le Bouclier de Bacchus, Terroir Parisien, Axuria, Braisenville
6.5 L’Escient, Cantine de Troquet Dupleix, Le Chemise, Alain Milliat, Pinxo Rive Gauche, Cabanon de l'Ecallier
6.3 Les Degres de Notre Dame
6.2 Les Novices, H. Kitchen
6.1 Petit Broc, Semilla, Au Passage
6.0 Clocher de Montmartre, Pierre au Palais Royale, l’Instant d’Or, Stella Maris, Metropolitain (16th), L' Écailler du Pichet

John’s Top Restos and Bistros Rated over 6/10 for 2012 coming into the home stretch.

8.3 Masa
8.0 l'Escargot
7.5 Flora, Pirouette, Vivant, Pierre Sang Boyer
7.2 Clandestino
7.1 Volney, Abri, Marloe
7.0 Sens Unique, Le 122, Jalles, Table d'Aki, A La Marguerite, Excoffier
6.9 Les Saisons, Crom'Exquis
6.8 Bigarrade
6.7 L'Office
6.6 Le Bouclier de Bacchus, Terroir Parisien, Axuria, Braisenville
6.5 L’Escient, Cantine de Troquet Dupleix, Le Chemise, Alain Milliat, Pinxo RG, Cabanon de l'Ecallier
6.1 Petit Broc, Semilla, Au Passage
6.0 Clocher de Montmartre, Pierre au Palais Royale, l’Instant d’Or, Stella Maris, Metropolitain (16th), Ecallier Pichet

John’s Top 20 Restos and Bistros for 2012 entering Springtime.

7.0 Sens Unique, Le 122
6.9 Les Saisons
6.6 Le Bouclier de Bacchus
6.5 L’Escient, Cantine de Troquet Dupleix, Le Chemise, Alain Milliat
6.1 Petit Broc
6.0 Clocher de Montmartre, Pierre au Palais Royale, l’Instant d’Or
5.9 La Classe
5.8 Pantruche
5.7 Dernier Metro, Catherine Reed
5.5 Coq Rico, Marie & Louise
5.2 Reparate
5.1 Mirama

For a contrasting view, here are Emmanuel Rubin’s top 22 ones:
8.5 Coq Rico
8.0 L'Arola
7.5 Alain Milliat
7.0 L'Instant d'Or
6.5 Albion, Cantine du Troquet, L'Escargot 1903, Cave Schmidt, L’Affable, Maxan, Les Saisons, Lengué
6.0 L'Escient, La Vieille, le Chemise, Au Clocher de Montmartre, La Coloniale, Pizzeria di Rebellato, Sassolini, L'Éclaireur, Le Vide Gousset, Top Chef à L'Alcazar

 

2011 - This was a very good year.

Ole Frank said it first: This was a very good year. My. I cannot recall a year in which so much talent burst on the scene in Paris.

But it was an especially good year for Japanese-born chefs, whether running Japanese or French restaurants, as you will see.

“Just the facts” first.

I ate at 109 restaurants that were new or had new chefs, new teams, new owners, etc. 87 of them (80%) fell above the 5.0 (average) cutoff and 22 (20%) fell below. That’s pretty good Paris!

Here are my top 22, all of which are rated on my scale of 0-10* and all of which I would recommend.
12.0* Comme Chez Maman
8.0 Sola, l'Antre Amis & l’Agape Substance
7.9 Kei
7.5 Qui Plume la Lune, Tintilou & Sot l’y Laisse
7.2 Septime
7.0 L'Auberge du 15, Les Ambassadeurs & Galopin
6.9 Atao
6.8 Le Dauphin & C'est Mon Plaisir
6.5 L’Hedoniste, Vivant, Le Café des Musees, Les Coulisses, Clarisse, Pottoka & Neva

*This is a trick to see if you’re really paying attention; I ate there twice with different menus and thus the ratings really were 6.0 and 6.0

 

John's Top 10 for the first semester 2011

Here are the top restos from January to July 2011 (all are reviewed and can be searched):

8.0 Sola & l'Antre Amis

7.9 Kei

7.5 Qui Plume la Lune, Tintilou & Vivant

7.2 Septime

7.0 L'Auberge du 15 & Les Ambassadeurs

6.8 Le Dauphin & C'est Mon Plaisir

John's Top Nineteen as the critics go on vacation.

To keep up to date, here are my ratings for 2011 to June 15, 2011:

8.0 Sola
7.9 Kei
7.5 Qui Plume La Lune

Tintilou

7.2 Septime

7.0 l'Auberge du 15
6.8 Le Dauphin
6.5 L’Hedoniste
Vivant
Cafe Des Musees

Les Coulisses
6.1 Le Petit Colbert
Akrame
6.0 Comme Chez Maman
Maison David
Ribouldingue

l'Auberge Cafe

Yuzu
5.9 Bistro des Gastronomes

Emmanuel Rubin's Top 19 of 2011; mine too

  Rubin's Top 19

9 L’Abeille
8.5 Pantruche
7.5 Qui Plume la lune
7 Sola
Hedoniste
Epicuriste
Les Tablettes de JL Nomicos
Akrame
FL restaurant
L’Arc Bento
Bauhinia
Atao
Dans Les Landes
6.5 Kei
Bistro des Gastronomes
Vivant
Bistronomes
Izakaya Isse
R.A.P.

And mine:

8.0 Sola
7.9 Kei
7.5 Qui Plume La Lune
6.8 Le Dauphin
6.5 L’Hedoniste
Vivant
Cafe Des Musees
6.1 Le Petit Colbert
Akrame
6.0 Comme Chez Maman
Maison David
Ribouldingue
5.9 Bistro des Gastronomes
5.8 39V
Playtime
Dans Les Landes
L’Epicuriste
5.7 Les Bistronautes
5.5 Lui l’Insolent

 

John Talbott’s Restaurant Ratings* 2006-2011*

John Talbott’s Restaurant Ratings* 2006-2011*

9.0 Auberge des Saints Peres, in Aulnay sous Bois,
8.5 Le Violin d’Ingres
8.5 Spring/La Buvette
8.2 Chez Lena et Mimile (since downgraded alas)
8.0 Ze Kitchen Galerie
8.0 La Regalade St. Honore
8.0 Saturne
8.0 MBC
8.0 Les Autodidactes, in Levallois-Perret
8.0 Le Versance
8.0 yam'Tcha
8.0 l’Escarbille, in Meudon
8.0 l’Agassin

The hot 12 after the Rentree.

The hot 12 after the Rentree.

Before the New York Times and their ilk gets word, here's mine in rank order:

Spring

Regalade St Honore & Saturne

l'Agape

Le Mini Palais

Le 104 aka Street Food, Concert de Cuisine, Chez la V/Adrienne

Moustache, the original Regalade, l'Agrume

Chez Grenouille