Le Villaret - Paris in the 11th

Thought I would start off the restaurant reviews with Le Villaret. These are not intended to be critical pieces but more impressions. Generally if I write it up I like it overall. Your experience could be vastly different as usually the company that I keep and my general lack of shyness makes it hard to have a bad meal. With some of my friends I have never had a bad meal. I have been to places where I wouldn't return but I tend to bring out the best of the situation. Life is short so enjoy it.

Le Villaret has no web-site, is hard to find but I cannot remember a better meal. Food and service were excellent and the wine list was monumental with 6 pages of Burgundy, 1 page just for DRC, 4 pages Cotes du Rhone and then a few more pages for things like Champagne and Alsace, and 1 page for Vins Estrangers which was mostly Sassicaia. Those are the Red wines. There are 10 more pages for the Whites. You get the point.

A good rule of thumb in exploring a new restaurant is to go where the locals go. I was the only American there in this 50 seater which was packed at 2pm for lunch. Tip number two is to focus on lunch as the main meal. There is value in lunch, it is easier to get a reservation and Hell you're on vacation. Go home, take a nap and then have a small dinner which if you have an apartment in Paris you can do quite easily.

Will I go back there. Absolutely. Between Christmas and New Years. Le Villaret goes on the short list of restaurants I will visit every time I visit Paris. Next up, L' Avant Comptoir, another repeat visit. I only went there 5 times in 2 weeks.