24 Hours: Paris (Terri and Finn’s European Adventure Day 8)
As if the trip wasn’t decadent enough, we totally and completely splurged on lunch at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Saint-Germain). To balance this extravagance, we took a bus from the apartment in the 17th arr. to the restaurant in the 7th arr.
The day had to get better after I’d made a mess of the Nespresso machine back at the apartment. See Day 7: Paris.
We’ve only ever sat at the counter here but I think it’s the best way to experience the very cool and modern ambience. From most counter, seats you can observe the meticulous food preparation. Be sure to go through the hidden door and downstairs to the bathrooms. Lots of black lacquer, mirrors, and dim lighting.
We both opted for the tasting menu, while I added the wine pairing knowing that it was going to be a lot.
The wines are always perfectly paired. I think this was a ‘before’ picture whereas the first picture was the ‘after’ picture at a cafe near rue de Levis in the 17th before we picked up provisions for a snacky-snack dinner.
The menu was predictable which, while very good, could have used some updating. I am sure they have to balance providing what people expect with offering up something new. There are some seasonal variations (I’ve been here in the summer and in December) but otherwise it remains the same.
This was a different presentation of a similar course to previous visits. Joel Robuchon died in August 2018 and I wonder if that was the reason for the decline in the experience. I was last there in July 2018.
I love seared foie gras, especially when paired with something sweet like cherries or apricots or peaches. This course had a big cherry.
This dish is always a delight given the Asian twist in a French restaurant. These are gyoza and the broth is a perfect blend of savory and vinegar.
Foam was still in fashion and this was a seafood course (I think). The current menu has an egg but I recall eating a bite of something resembling lobster.
Finn is generally a vegetarian but for this lunch, Finn embraced their inner carnivore and selected the lamb which is truly delicious. It’s served with their super creamy mashed potatoes that are out of this world.
When we were there as a family in 2015, Adam asked for the recipe and we were surprised by the amount of butter the recipe called for and the addition of nutmeg. We’ve made it a few times at home, using a chinois to get the perfect texture. It’s a lot of work.
Before my favorite chocolate dessert in the whole world (which says a lot since I don’t really like chocolate), there’s a refreshing citrus sorbet.
This might not look like much but the combination of creamy chocolate ganache, crunchy Oreo crumble, and something chocolate, cold and creamy. It’s truly heavenly.
I finished with an espresso while Finn had their choice of teas.
After lunch, slightly inebriated (me), we perused the shops in the Saint-Germain. We started at Bonot Opticiens which is across the street from the restaurant and is where I now get most of my eyeglass frames.
I convinced Finn to get some bold, new frames which Finn is sporting in this picture from college last month in Vermont. Pretty snazzy!
After I spent way too much at the optical place including these retro sunglasses, and then purchased these jeweled earrings in a small boutique, we continue to check out the little shops.
We had to go into this super funky taxidermy and nature shop called Deyrolle. There were puzzles and shells and books and cards and plants (which drew Finn in) and it was an amazingly fun shop. Check it out if you are in the Saint-Germain. You will not leave empty-handed. I triple dog dare you to buy the ostrich.
We took the bus back to rue de Levis for provisions for dinner. After the major splurge for lunch, we opted for a lighter (and less expensive) dinner on the apartment terrace. Finn’s friend Somerset met us for dinner which we were honored by since they only had two nights left in Paris before returning to California.
On rue de Levis, we stopped in Nicolas (they are all over France) for the champagne and into one of my favorite cheese shops for some camembert with truffles. While I am not a big truffle fan, this is my favorite cheese.
We stopped at two different produce stands to get some berries, cherries, apricots, peaches, and tomatoes. And, of course, we purchased a baguette from one of the boulangeries.
As we were walking back to the apartment, it started to sprinkle which later turned into a full on thunderstorm with lightening. It was fantastic. It cooled everything down and we woke up to a refreshing morning which was nice after some mid-trip anxiety in the middle of the night.
We breakfasted on croissants before taking the metro to what I thought was the Marais. The day didn’t go as planned but then again, we didn’t really have plans. More about our last full day in Paris: Day 9.
Terri Hanson Mead is the multi-award winning author of Piloting Your Life, Managing Partner of Solutions2Projects, LLC, and an advocate for women through all of her platforms including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and this blog. Terri is the mother of two college aged kids, is based in Redwood City, CA and in her spare time, loves to travel, cook, play tennis, and fly helicopters around the San Francisco Bay Area, especially under the Golden Gate Bridge.
