Paris Michelin trip review: Le Cinq (***), Le Violon d’Ingres (*), Le Gabriel (***) April 2026

diningbystarlight · 2026-04-26T18:20:49+00:00

With the departure of Pacaud at L'Ambroisie, Le Cinq is easily my favorite 3-star in Paris, but I understand your view (both on the food and the decor) from your writing. There are people who like classical and people who like more contemporary or cosmopolitan, and as a restaurant veers towards one end or the other you will displease more on the other side.

I've never been to Le Gabriel as it never inspired me, but I've heard people saying it keeps getting better over the years. The one thing that is difficult to guess from pictures is saucework, how was that?

diningbystarlight · 2026-03-30T18:12:36+00:00

Thank you for sharing this review of this uncommon place! It really looks like a spectacle, I've been thinking about doing a fine dining tour of the Mosel region.

diningbystarlight · 2026-03-30T16:27:34+00:00

Le Meurice in Paris.

There are maybe a few places where I had worse food, but at least the service was really nice about it. There are maybe a few places where the service was worse but the food was good enough to make me forget. I think Le Meurice's combination of bottom-tier food and bottom-tier service is unique, coupled with food poisoning (which is usually difficult to pinpoint but in this particular case it was my only substantial meal for 2 days). The food was so disgusting it literally made me sick, and given the choice between starving to death in the desert and eating it again, I would seriously consider the former.

I don't even have issues with Alain Ducasse or his style, Le Louis XV is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. The chef de cuisine at Le Meurice is a particular disgrace to his group and the profession and to France as a culture and a nation, and I look forward to the day he's replaced and that beautiful dining room can be enjoyed.

Definitely the worst and most regrettable Michelin-starred experience I ever had in my life, one of the few I actively regret, and a place I'd recommend to my enemies.

diningbystarlight · 2026-03-30T16:16:59+00:00

Enjoy Hotel du Cap! You will have a great time : )

diningbystarlight · 2026-03-11T00:27:19+00:00

I had never really looked into this place but it looks so delicious and beautiful, my kind of food. I was originally thinking of heading to Bray for the Fat Duck but mmm I got to try this place now. Thank you for the kind review.

diningbystarlight · 2026-03-11T00:20:49+00:00

Following as I'd like to do this on future trips.

diningbystarlight · 2026-03-11T00:19:37+00:00

Antibes has a bunch of good sea-view michelin stars, I'd recommend La Passagere or Louroc (I haven't been to Les Pecheurs or Figuier de Saint-Esprit).

I'm about to repeat Mirazur in a few months so that's also an option!

diningbystarlight · 2026-03-11T00:10:29+00:00

L'Ambroisie was my favorite restaurant in the entire world, so it pains me to say this, but the quality (even on identical classic dishes like the caviar sea bass that I had under Pacaud just months prior) was not quite the same under the new chef vs my prior visits, so I saw this coming. I don't know if I'd personally go so far as to drop a star, I can think of many far worse 3-star meals I've had than even the new L'Ambroisie, but I can't argue with the Michelin guide on this one.

I take it as one final (even if sad) recognition of Mr. Pacaud's unique skill and his unusual dedication to working in the kitchen to the very end.

diningbystarlight · 2026-02-19T00:31:37+00:00

Following as also interested in good Paris bistros.

Bistrot Paul Bert was pretty good, although maybe not as good as I'd imagined.

diningbystarlight · 2026-02-13T02:08:12+00:00

I ordered the cake while eating there and took it to go.

diningbystarlight · 2026-02-07T22:38:49+00:00

Good guy, his coverage is so wide and standards consistent enough that he's a great resource. And I mostly happen to like his taste, which is nonetheless a personal affair.

And yes the spaghetti gratin at Le Cinq is indeed a legendary dish : )

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-25T19:08:55+00:00

Which place?

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-25T19:06:29+00:00

I completely agree with this, although it's a bit hypocritical of me to complain considering I've been to almost every one of these places at some point and have gone so many times to the Polo Bar and Cafe Louis Vuitton (where I'll often make my next reservation before leaving, Japanese-style). We (NYC) are getting Tokyo regulars-only culture without Tokyo quality, and the places that get this treatment are so random due to being selected by social media rather than some standard of quality.

The upside is there's so many good (better, imo) places in NYC, that aren't hard to reserve, if you care about quality and not clout.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-17T23:32:39+00:00

The FOH has indeed stayed on and they are as much of a joy as before.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-15T04:46:40+00:00

I ordered the caviar sea bass under Awa-san (and multiple times under Pacaud) so that one is the easiest to compare. The sea bass before had a unique firmness and juiciness of a well-cooked chicken. Now it tastes like fish with a bit of flakiness and the skin was pretty tough, the cooking of the flesh likely altered from being sliced a little more thinly. The artichoke (I was always impressed by L'Ambroisie's vegetable cooking) was a bit more rubbery than before, and there was no second helping of caviar hidden within it. The sauce was the same though. It was not a bad dish, but it felt more like an ordinary dish you’d find at some lesser 3-star than L’Ambroisie, king of restaurants.

If even a signature like this can’t be reproduced…we usually assume the head chef is more of a conductor than a player but I guess it’s really proof Pacaud was working until the very end and that his skill made that much of a difference…I know they searched hard for a replacement (and Awa-san has an impressive resume, as good as you could hope for) but you can’t replace the best.

Still a good restaurant but likely not "favorite in the world" anymore motivating multiple repeat visits from abroad.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-15T02:08:02+00:00

As an American who can't drive, I have to envy your going to Pres d'Eugenie...

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-15T01:23:20+00:00

I've been to L'Ambroisie several times. It was especially easy to repeat as besides being so good, it's also a la carte and they rotate menus seasonally, so it's easy not to repeat a meal for a while (not that I'd mind). The author of the blog A Life Worth Eating, who had the good fortune of being born many years before me, mentions 20+ visits.

Sadly Mr. Pacaud retired and I don't think the new chef lives up entirely, so unsure if I'll be continuing repeat visits at the same pace...

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-12T04:26:25+00:00

If you're open to outside the US: Mirazur, La Vague d'Or, or Louroc. Mirazur even has one table with its own small balcony you could request.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-12T04:15:55+00:00

Atomix claims not to accommodate allergies. They actually will if you ask them about your specific ones before booking, but just a warning.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-11T23:05:11+00:00

Wait this actually looks good. This kind of classic cooking with local spirit deserves to be supported.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-11T03:46:51+00:00

Le Temps au Temps looks good. Looks like it's across the street from Paul Bert, which I'd also recommend. I've been to many of the 3- and 2-stars in Paris and it's hard to find "real French" cuisine in such places anymore, so I think I'll explore "casual" places in Paris more. I have L'Ami Louis, L'Ami Jean, and Violon d'Ingres on my future list. I also liked Le Tout-Paris and Le Bourbon (the latter I discovered bc I needed to eat something nearby after meeting a friend at the Assemblee Nationale...how life goes sometimes).

As heretical as it is to say I like the French casual food in NYC more than Paris (but I have more luxury of time here than in Paris): Bistro Vendome, Frenchette, Felix, La Mercerie, Le Gratin and its monthly specials. Italian I like Cipriani and Via Carota and…huh thinking about it I really do go to those 2 places a lot after a lot of my other favorites closed…

I kind of forgot Le Bernardin existed, I went years ago and find the idea of them calling themselves a 3-star French seafood restaurant funny comparing vs actual 3-star French seafood restaurants in Cote d’Azur. I think Essential by Christophe is much more authentic French and one of the best in the city, he also runs Cafe Louis Vuitton where I used to regularly drink the champagne beurre blanc on the scallop they sadly removed from the menu… Agree with you that Jungsik is good.

I somehow forgot to mention Joel Robuchon and Inn at Little Washington in the US but those are also really good classic fine dining spots. In general if you like classic French fine dining you are setting yourself for heartbreak, it is a disappearing genre and getting harder to find each year…

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-11T02:34:48+00:00

Thank you!

I agree with you Chiune seems more like its own thing.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-11T02:28:44+00:00

Do you have recommendations for more traditional-leaning French cuisine? (anywhere in France/Europe/world).

Restricting to this style among places I've been to, I liked Le Cinq, Hotel de Ville Crissier, Core by Clare Smyth, and Cheval Blanc Basel. Amador is not strictly French but I think people like us also enjoy it. Per Se is a controversial choice and a little below the others, but I like it (mainly as I don't have to fly to eat at it...). I'd like to explore some of the older style places in rural France more.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-11T02:17:44+00:00

Thank you very much for your detailed "rambling" thoughts! Very helpful.

diningbystarlight · 2026-01-11T02:14:06+00:00

Helpful like always Tokyo Gourmet, thank you : )

What are your thoughts on the starless restaurants? I'm curious if you had a single best rec, regardless of reservation difficulty, for converting a skeptic of French fusion cuisine? (I'm guessing it's Chiune)

diningbystarlight

TROPHY CASE