I spent a long weekend in Paris with two dear friends a couple months ago, and the last night of our trip fell on my 38th birthday. One of my friends lives in Paris and booked us a table at Bonnie, where we enjoyed an hours-long dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
The restaurant was gorgeous, with a plush dining rooon the 15th and 16th floors of a fashionable hotel, with huge windows all around showing off the Paris nightscape. The vibe was fun and trendy, more happening at 10:00 than at 7:30. We hung out until midnight, the hours flying by.
Service was excellent. Our waiter, who we couldn't help but notice was extremely handsome, was friendly and attentive, there whenever we needed something and somewhere else for the stretches when we were obviously just enjoying ourselves. He also helped us pick our two bottles of wine, the Marsannay Saint Urbain and the Meursault Dom du Pavillon, which were both lovely. We also got a €10 bottle of water, but that seems like par for the course in upscale Parisian restaurants.
The food was great. There was complimentary bread and butter, which was decent if not stellar by local standards, and we shared several appetizers and a large format entrée. My favorite of the starters was the heart of salmon gravlax: silky, flavorful slices of cured salmon served with scallion, lemon cream, lemon, and blini. The truffled croque monsieur was decadent, the butternut squash velouté velvety and lush, with smoked cheddar and bacon. I also liked the marinated sea bream with lime. The only one that didn't meet expectations was the duck foie gras, served with apple and toasted brioche. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good.
We split the Dover sole, which was portioned to share and came with two sides of our choosing. The sole was delicious, buttery and cooked just right. I also enjoyed the elaborate presentation, the huge fish getting carefully filleted by our movie star of a waiter. We picked the mashed potatoes and the sautéed mushrooms for our sides, and both were on point.
For dessert, we shared the cheesecake Bonnie, the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, and the roasted pineapple with coconut and passion fruit sorbet. All three were excellent. I also indulged in a cocktail, the De La Louisiane Coffee Cask, a strong, smooth drink made with Grand Brulot, Cognac Camus VSOP Borderie,
Absinthe Pernod, Punt e Mes, Benedictine DOM, and
Peychaud bitters.
We had a splendid time at Bonnie. It was an ideal place for the last night of our trip, with great food, drink, and hospitality, as well as that incredible view. read more