One of the greatest pleasures in Paris is dining in one of the city's many terrace restaurants. Below is a guide to four of my very favorites that combine atmosphere, quality and good value for money.

Cercle Ledoyen

With a small entrance just next to that of its prestigious parent, this airy annex to the world famous LeDoyen, the gentle colors of bamboo and caramel, with large windows that look out onto its spacious terrace and the chestnut trees lining the Champs-Elysées.

The bistro-style menu is supervised by LeDoyen's chef, Ghislaine Arabian, with Chef Didier Doucet in the kitchen. All the entrées are 60F, the surprisingly limited selection of meat courses is 120F and the more interesting fish selection is 130F. There is also a small selection of dishes based on eggs for 100F.

I began with the mini pizza with eggplant and mozzarella which was perfect, served on a bed of bright tétragone salad, that is similar to young spinach. My husband had the langoustines that were served in their shells and accompanied by mayonnaise. The dish was a little ordinary in conception but the shellfish were fresh and the portions generous.

Although my rumpsteak was a little tough, the accompanying onion compote and  green beans were excellent. My husband's main course was superb: two small lottes (monkfish) that were line-caught and served with fava beans and fragrant Italian purple basil. Our excellent 1993 Rully, very reasonably priced at 195F, was a perfect accompaniment for it.

My dessert was an unusual combination of strawberries with basil, creating very subtle results; the lively accent of the aniseeds in the tuile created a harmonious union with the sweetness of the strawberries. My husband was won over by the delectable creamy chocolate blackcurrant mousse topped with sorbet made from Belgian kriek beer.

Cercle Ledoyen, Carré des Champs-Elysées, 8e, Metro Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau, tel: 01.53.05.10.02, closed Sun.

Le Chalet du Lac de St-Mandé

This delightful restaurant is tucked away in a quiet part of the Bois de Vincennes and offers a large, elevated terrace with a wonderful view of the lac de St-Mandé through immense chestnut trees. Once a hunting chalet of Napoleon III, the interior now has a wonderful 1930s retro feel. The restaurant has blossomed under the new direction of M. Legrandidier, who has introduced orchestras most evenings and on Sunday afternoons, to take advantage of the superb dancing floors.

The kitchen is in the hands of Chef Gilles Pillon, who has conceived an impressive three-course menu for only 140F. I chose the classic farcis à la Provençale, miniature courgettes and tomatoes stuffed with meat (a far cry from the ready-made stuffed tomatoes found at the butcher's), a simple rustic dish that was perfumed with herbs and olive oil and gracefully presented. My husband chose the entrée of the day, a salad of squid with a curry dressing and thinly sliced carrots, courgettes and apples. It was fine, if just a little underflavored for his taste.

I had the lovely sandre (pike perch) with an olive oil-based vierge sauce. My only complaint was in the kind of rice served, as France now has easy access to excellent imports from the great rice producing nations of the world. My husband had the tender lamb noisettes served with eggplant caviar and found it an excellent combination although I felt the composition on the plate needed more color.

I was very impressed by my caramelized pineapple with some lovely coconut ice cream. Although tempted by the thyme-flavored ice cream on the menu, my husband enjoyed his rich chocolate fondant. The wine list is one of the best I've seen in terms of quality and price, with excellent bottles hovering around the 100-120F mark. Our fine Pessac-Léognan for 145F went particularly well with the lamb.

Le Chalet du Lac de Saint-Mandé, Orée du Bois de Vincennes, 12e, M. St Mandé Tourelles, tel: 01.43.28.09.89, closed Mondays.

Il Cortile

This discreet Italian restaurant offers a secluded interior courtyard with a superb fountain and an atmosphere that is completely Italian, accented on by marble and baroque frescos. No sooner were we seated then we were offered some grissini wrapped with proscuitto crudo. We shared a delectable selection of antipasti, very well priced at 88F. Among the delicious items, we particularly enjoyed the thinly sliced vitello tonnato, veal delicately seasoned with ricotta cheese in leek and a slice of pissaladière (Niçoise pizza with onions).

For our next course, my husband had a sublime tuna tart served almost raw with a fresh tomato concassé (90F), an outstanding dish, while I chose the equally delicious, fresh and very delicate ravioli stuffed with tomato and herbs, served with sautéed girolles (88F). For a main course, I had the brill with a balsamic vinegar glaze (150F), accompanied by some steamed green asparagus and lemon confit sauce that woke up the palette. My husband opted for the swordfish cooked with citrus fruit and bell peppers (146F). Although he found it a little sweet the fish was cooked perfectly and accompanied by a variety of little vegetables such as tiny artichokes and potatoes.

A wonderful dome of cassata siciliana served with triangles of chocolate and a delicate panna cotta, both for 50F, ended an exceptional meal. Our wine, a 1996 Bianco Argiolas from Sardinia for 185F was excellent, a perfect accompaniment for the fish. As well as a good selection of fairly-priced Italian and French wines, Il Cortile also offers a very impressive range of grappa poured from beautiful bottles and served in special glasses that gently funnel the delicate aromas. The service was extremely polished and polite.

Il Cortile, 37, rue Cambon, 1er, Metro Madeleine, tel: 01.44.58.45.67, closed Sat and Sun.

Relais du Parc

Attached to the Westin Hotel in the sedate avenue Raymond Poincaré, this restaurant offers a beautiful and large secluded garden courtyard ideal for a summer's afternoon. The menu has recently been redesigned by Alain Ducasse, and is divided into French classics and dishes inspired by Asian, Italian or Spanish recipes, fitting neatly into the colonial motif of the interior, divided into two rooms for smokers and non-smokers. Both look onto the garden terrace.

After some wonderful amuse-bouches that included a very unusual and successful chilled watermelon soup (for which I would love to have the recipe),  I had the entrée du jour,  potjevlesch (65F), a little known meat-based terrine from the north of France cooked slowly in beer and served with fig chutney; the results were delicious. My husband was very happy with his delicate gnocchi with scallops, clams, crab, olives and roquette (95F). Our wine was also superb, a St-Aubin premier cru Domaine Larue 1996 for 250F.

Neither of us could resist the plat du jour, roasted John Dory or St-Pierre (150F), served with girolles and potatoes mashed with olive oil. The fish was perfect, served on the bone with an excellent garnish of sun-dried tomatoes and olives. As a bonus, we were also served some delicious sautéed potatoes from Noirmoutiers. For dessert I had the dulce de leche, a simple but delicious light variation on the Brazilian classic with very thin caramelized wafers of puff pastry served like a millefeuille, while my husband tried the chocolate fondant that was so good it must surely be the specialty of the house. Both were 50F. Our coffee was accompanied by some delectable, ambrosial gourmandises: a memorable pistachio financier and some delicate tuiles. The service was smooth and efficient and more amiable than is often encountered in Paris.

Relais du Parc, 55, av Raymond-Poincaré, Metro Trocadero, tel: 01.44.05.66.10, open daily.

issue: July/August 98

webmaster

Name & Contents Copyright © 1998 The Paris Free Voice, advertise
 Online version of The Paris Free Voice co-published by Gyoza Media  photo credits
Permission is granted to make WWW links to this page. All other rights reserved.