sc

  • More Discussions About

  • Search

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

1 to 10 of 10

  1.  
  1.  

    A few months ago I had dinner at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, in Paris, and had one of the most memorable meals. I'll just say that if you haven't been to a Joël Robuchon restaurant yet and you're looking for a good place to eat in Paris, you should definitely try it.

    Most people around the room seemed to be eating à la carte, and the portions are a good size. We ordered the Menu "Decouverte" for €110 each and I'd say we more than got our money's worth. The portions are obviously smaller than the à la carte menu, but then again there are 10 courses. Considering how spot on everything was, it was excellent value and just the right amount of food. We weren't overly stuffed.
    joel-robuchon-menu.jpg
    An amuse bouche of sardines got things going as our wines by the glass were poured from spigots behind the counter. Our waiter, Sebastian, managed to memorize every ingredient in every dish, and fluently joked with diners in English, French and Spanish as he went around to each guest at the bar. Although, occasionally other waiters would deliver the piping hot plates and barely spoke any English at all. Generally that can be a let down because you'll have no idea what you're eating. So it probably all depends on who you get.

    Memorable dishes included the gaspacho with a touch of rich olive oil that had a fantastic zing to it. There was the clams with butter, garlic and mushrooms on a bed of sea salt which was powerful and infused with intense flavour.
    joel-robuchon-clams.jpg
    The creamy and warm "boiled egg" that was foamed and topped with parsley (and something that could have been nutmeg).
    joel-robuchon-boiled-egg.jpg
    And I chose the half-cooked salmon with dill and cucumbers which was perfectly moist and quite fresh (instead of the lamb with cumin and cous cous which was the other choice on the menu).

    Desert was a mint sorbet with a chocolate soufflé that had the texture of a warm pudding. The plate was actually scalding, so the sorbet started to melt rather quickly.
    joel-robuchon-dessert.jpg
    We did spot Joël picking through everyone's food that was waiting under heat lamps before it was served. I will say that it's an odd site to the restaurant's namesake eating your food before you do.

    Overall, the meal was perfect. The seating is ideal for couples. Though groups of four can make do if they are able to get seats that are on the corners of the bar. Otherwise, it can be difficult to have a conversation when you're talking to someone two seats down.

    If I remember correctly, they only take reservations for the first seating, which I believe is at 6:00PM. Overall the service was impeccable and it really was one of the highlights of our stay in Paris. I highly recommend it.

    Thanks from: Herry Lawford
  2.  

    We also enjoyed L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon while in Paris in May, and can not recommend the restaurant strongly enough. The evening we dined the lamb special was popular, so the staff created a combination entree plate with mixed dishes for us that exceeded all expectations. It is a unique dining experience, and one that patrons of this website will truly enjoy and remember.

  3.  

    I had some really good wines there. One of the nice touches is that they list all the pertinent information about the wines right on your bill. Even if you order by the glass. Very helpful.

  4.  

    I've been to the one in NYC and it was fabulous as well. We ordered on our own off the small plates menu and sat at the bar. Magnificent all around.

  5.  

    Just back from a week in Paris. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, in Paris, was one of the two Robuchon restaurants we ate at. La table the other is fancier and more refined. The food is the same. The price at L"Atelier is about 1/3 less expensive.
    The staff at both places are impeccable. I can't imagine Paris without Robuchon.
    Reservations are honored promptly, although it is tough when the crowd at L"Atelier arrives for the 6:30 dinner reservation at the same time. The Maitre'D is amazing and gets coats hung up and people at the tables in record time. The had a roasted pig special with mashed potatoes. What could be wrong with that?
    We declined the jeroboam of Chateau Lafitte Rothschild, since it was as big as we are.

  6.  

    Rumor has it that L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is going to get two Michelin stars when the red guide comes out next month. Well deserved.

  7.  

    This wonderful restaurant has a number of siblings, including Le Table de Joel Robuchon and this is a regular stop when I'm in Paris - made easier by the fact that I usually stay at the Hotel St James in Av. Bugeaud (off Av Foch), so it's only a short walk away...One of its attractions is it's small size - cosy for such a renowned place, and you get perfect attention from the staff. I also love the gilded light which shows off the girls to their best advantage. I only have one photo, but this veal chop was one of the best I've ever tasted!
    Paris

  8.  

    Perhaps a victim of the slowing economy, the New York branch of L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (located in the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan) is cutting back. Effective July 21, 2008, it will no longer be open for lunch. It will, however, continue to be open for dinner.

  9.  

    While we were in Paris, in May of 2008, one of the restaurants that my wife, Donna Elena, and I chose to dine in was L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. It was a Saturday night and our concierge had made a reservation there for us, for an early dinner.

    For those of you who haven’t dined at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, there are no tables. You sit at a counter, on barstools. They’re a bit more comfortable and more elegant than your normal barstools, but they’re barstools nonetheless. I’ve never been enamored of this type of dining, unless I’m grabbing a hamburger and a cherry coke (or a vanilla malted) or sitting at a sushi bar. However, if you want to sample the fine food at this establishment, have a seat on your stool. The counter is your only option. So, it goes without saying that your meal is not going to be as luxurious, as leisurely or as comfortable, as some of the other wonderful restaurants that can be found in Paris and, indeed, throughout France.

    That being said, my wife and I were fortunate enough to be seated at a corner of the counter. Consequently, we were able to easily talk to each other during our meal, as well as having a little extra space.

    One of the positive aspects of sitting at the counter was our ability to watch some of the dishes being prepared by the very capable staff and to observe the operation of a very efficient and well-run restaurant. (As you can see in one of the photographs below, which we took that evening, there was a small basil plant on a counter right in the middle of the kitchen. So, when a recipe called for fresh basil, there it was and there was no doubt that it was FRESH basil.) On the other hand, it was clear that the very capable young men and women who were serving us that evening had just too much to do to provide us with the type of service that one would typically find in French restaurants with multiple Michelin stars. Between bringing over the various courses for each of the customers at the counter, explaining what they were, pouring water and wine (we had an excellent premier cru Chambertin) and clearing the plates, all within a small section of the counter, they had their hands full. Every once in a while, we had to pour our own wine, which was a small price to pay for what, overall, was an enjoyable and interesting evening.

    We both decided to have the tasting menu. (See one of the other photographs attached below.) A number of the dishes that we sampled were truly wonderful – in particular, the foie gras, the egg dish, the lamb and “l’orange.” The others were very good. None disappointed.

      DSC00125.JPG
      DSC00120.JPG
      DSC00317.JPG
      DSC00133.JPG
      DSC00130.JPG
  10.  

    i constantly find myself pining to be your travel companion, don pablo....

    Thanks from: DonPablo

1 to 10 of 10

  1.  

Add your comments

  • Formatting Tips
 
Back to Discussions Top of Page
 
tr