Gourmet Bistros and Restaurants of Paris
Paris claims to have invented the restaurant with the opening of Beauvilliers in 1784, and here are over 100 dining places that keep the city at the crossroads of culinary tradition and innovation. Rival indulges the reader with a discerning selection of splendid historic restaurants, notorious brasseries, down-to-earth bistros, and contemporary hot spots. Each is described in delectable detail. From the glittering decadence of Michelin 3-star chef Guy Martin's Le Grand Véfour, to Jacques...
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Paris claims to have invented the restaurant with the opening of Beauvilliers in 1784, and here are over 100 dining places that keep the city at the crossroads of culinary tradition and innovation. Rival indulges the reader with a discerning selection of splendid historic restaurants, notorious brasseries, down-to-earth bistros, and contemporary hot spots. Each is described in delectable detail. From the glittering decadence of Michelin 3-star chef Guy Martin's Le Grand Véfour, to Jacques Garcia's trendy Hôtel Costes, and from Philippe Starck's Bacarrat wonderland to the student haven at Polidor, the restaurants presented here are tried and true; they define the delights of dining à la française.An indispensable black book provides the reader with contact information for the featured restaurants as well as other exceptional eateries in the food capital of the world. Rival covers all the notable addresses in a volume that serves as both a practical reference as well as an exquisite visual feast for the armchair traveler. Publishers Weekly Despite an introduction touting Parisian gastronomy and its two defining styles (cuisine savante and cuisine bourgeoise), there's little evidence of such fare in these pages. Rather, the authors of this illustrated volume dote on decor, which is, admittedly, magnificent in most cases. Examples of art nouveau and art deco mingle with illustrations of contemporary design and a "post-historic" style that mixes old and new, as Rival and Sarramon, who coauthored the more scintillating Gourmet Shops of Paris, showcase more than 100 dining establishments in the City of Lights. The scenes are no doubt beautiful: a glimmering chandelier with several hundred glass drops illuminates a room at the restaurant at the Plaza Athenee; the quintessentially French bistro L'Ami Louis looks like a set straight out of Gigi; art deco fabulousness infuses La Coupole, with the work of Fernand Leger and others decorating the pillars in the dining room. Yet for all the photographs' attractiveness, they feel oddly hollow: patrons are scant, bustling waiters nonexistent. Ample text accompanies the images, giving a crash course in Parisian history seen through its restaurants. Design aficionados will eat this up; foodies, meanwhile, will require more sustenance. 180 color photos. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
\ Publishers WeeklyDespite an introduction touting Parisian gastronomy and its two defining styles (cuisine savante and cuisine bourgeoise), there's little evidence of such fare in these pages. Rather, the authors of this illustrated volume dote on decor, which is, admittedly, magnificent in most cases. Examples of art nouveau and art deco mingle with illustrations of contemporary design and a "post-historic" style that mixes old and new, as Rival and Sarramon, who coauthored the more scintillating Gourmet Shops of Paris, showcase more than 100 dining establishments in the City of Lights. The scenes are no doubt beautiful: a glimmering chandelier with several hundred glass drops illuminates a room at the restaurant at the Plaza Athenee; the quintessentially French bistro L'Ami Louis looks like a set straight out of Gigi; art deco fabulousness infuses La Coupole, with the work of Fernand Leger and others decorating the pillars in the dining room. Yet for all the photographs' attractiveness, they feel oddly hollow: patrons are scant, bustling waiters nonexistent. Ample text accompanies the images, giving a crash course in Parisian history seen through its restaurants. Design aficionados will eat this up; foodies, meanwhile, will require more sustenance. 180 color photos. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.\ \
