I was amazed by how thoughtful the chef and his team were. We told them our parents are visiting from Shanghai so they provide us chopsticks. They also made a rice dish specifically for us. They made us feel really special. The dishes were very well presented and tasty but they were amazing for me. Overall it was a very good experience read more

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The overall experience was just so enjoyable and lighthearted. Maybe because we came here for lunch. Maybe because L'Astrance just is. Maybe because it's in Paris. I don't know the exact reasons but I've never felt so at home while eating a nice meal. We got there right when they opened for lunch, the decor was tasteful and cozy. Everything was excellent, with every bite I took, in my head I yelped: the chef really knows how to cook a good meal! All the ingredients were brought to their best and completed each other. The overall palate was neither overwhelming nor boring. It's just right. The surprise wine pairing was fun and perfect as well. (At one point I forgot it was supposed to be "surprise" and asked what the wine was as they were pouring and they wittily replied "I don't know". I was too tipsy to process his humor so I just looked at my husband and made the face "how would he not know?" It wasn't until later that I realized what happened, Lolllll) What I liked the most was the staff, they were professional and attentive but they also liked to have fun with their job. Not only did they joke with us here and there with their Parisian humor, they also entertained me in my curiosity with the fresh (but decorations) fruits on the table. Two of them actually came over to cut open the teeny tiny caviar lime at the table to show me what's inside and let me try it after I stared at and played with it throughout the meal lol... We were the last two tables to leave (slower than Parisians at eating?! What?!) and the chef happened to come out to meet everyone and we chatted with him for a while -- there were some interesting Asian influences in his dishes that I recognized from childhood and he verified they were because of his wife. It was overall such as fun meal, I'll come back soon! read more

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We made a lunch reservation for 1230 at L'Astrance and were seated immediately when we arrived. The restaurant was fairly intimate with seating for about 30 with a separate 2nd floor dining area that seemed more VIP. Ambiance was more casual for lunch. Only wore a collared shirt and slacks. Entire meal took about 2.5 hours and each dish was consistently paced about 15-20 minutes. We went with the 5 course seasonal menu that ended up being closer to 7 courses when you include the desserts. Friend added on the wine pairing as well. Dishes here were mostly Asian fusion with a few traditional French entrees. Loved all the main courses. Pear biscuit - fruit jelly sandwiched between delightfully crispy wafers Salad tart - nice starter to get the appetite going Mushroom with foie tart - Layers of mushroom and foie paste. interesting presentation like a pastry. Mushroom has a tougher texture. Mushroom tasted fairly light so mixing in the hazelnut oil and lemon jam adds a lot of flavor. The hazelnut oil had a potential hazelnut flavor. Lemon jam is very lemony and tart. Spring beans stuffed with lemon curd - certainly a novelty Apple ginger mint coriander - palette cleanser. Ginger mint coriander go well together. A bit of a spicy kick from the ginger and coriander with a refreshing mint aftertaste. Shrimp, cabbage, seafood paste, peanut sauce - peanut sauce has lots of spices. Shrimp was softtt and gave very easily when you bite into it. Wine pairing brought out the spice flavor. Thai fusion with the seafood paste and peanut sauce. John dory Fish Japanese rice butter soy sauce - Sauce with rice alone was already a fantastic dish. perfect bite is the butter sauce, with rice and fish. Fish was just adding texture and holds more sauce. Japanese fushion. Rice had a mushy texture to it. chicken salad marinated in sweet chili oil - chili oil had lots of complexity. The mix of sweet sour and chili was confusing to the palette. Lots of flavors. Chicken is not stringy. Foie gras duck leg confit - Pees, beets, duck, cherries, Sweet chili pepper. Red wine is no nonsense. Cuts through everything. Pairs really well with the duck. Duck is perfectly cooked. Consistent texture. Knife is incredibly sharp. Cuts right through the meat. Peppers aren't spicy at all. Popping texture. Duck tartine with spring greens is excellent. Nice soft texture. Light dressing on the mixed greens. Traditional French dish. Formage Blanc, potato, thyme, vanilla bean - potato is fluffy. Vanilla bean ice cream. Mix of sweet and savory. I think the potato and vanilla bean tastes better separate than together. Sweet chili pepper, ginger, lemon - This palette cleanser is a troll. It's refreshing cause it's so cold, yet mentally confusing with the spiciness. Raspberry rhubarb tart, jasmine flower - the foam by itself was a bit bitter. Raspberry rhubarb is surprisingly sweet. Together it's a bit more manageable. Seasonal fruits Egg nog - smooth and delicious. Not sweet at all. Novel presentation in the egg. Madeline Chestnut was a bit dense with the edges crisped. Fruits are fruits. All sweet and fresh. I'd recommend eating egg nog, Madeline, fruits in that order. The only off-putting thing was that they asked for tip at the very end. European restaurants usually have it all inclusive even for basic restaurants, so I was surprised the server asked. read more

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A dream come true to eat a 3 star Michelin in Paris :') L'astrance means "herb of the family", so everything was herb infused and had Asian influences. When we arrived, they offered to take our coats and bags and led us upstairs. The upstairs area only had 2 tables so it was very intimate. We ordered the lunch prix fixe meal for 70 euros, a great deal for a Michelin. Their bread was crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside, and the butter was the best butter I've ever had in my life. French butter is really better! Our second course was two different amuse bouche. The flowery amuse bouche was my favorite! It was sweet and salty and my taste buds were dancing with joy! The second one had a pear filling and the cracker was so delicate! Our first entree was a Thai infused shrimp and it was the juicest, most plump shrimp I've ever had. This shrimp dish was probably as good a shrimp dish could taste. On the bottom of the shrimp was this peanut sauce with a few peanuts, and it complimented the shrimp so well! I devoured this dish. On the side was something similar to an egg roll that was stuffed with mint. Since this was Asian inspired, this was the first of many dishes that had mint. Next item was the fish. It was delicious! The sauce on the side was a bit strange for me, but I didn't dislike it. Also, this dish came with a mint lettuce stack which I couldn't finish because too much mint is overwhelming for me. The duck dish was next with two pieces of duck and a sauce. On a side plate, it included a duck liver toast, spring mix, and a piece of seared duck. Since my friends and I don't really like liver, the toast was a bit overwhelming for us. But the main dish was very good (favorite was the seared duck though) and I absolutely loved the cranberry paste on the side! I still remember how it taste to this day. Dessert was next! We got a sorbet dessert and it was so unique. It had mint and peppers in it! Cool and spicy at the same time, but definitely not my favorite. What saved that dessert was the most beautiful tarte I've ever seen. The top meringue was super light and the crust was super thick - love the contrast. Inside the tart was a fruit filling and it absolutely hit the spot! I licked the plate clean for this one. The last course was a great way to end the meal. They brought out fresh fruit, eggnog, and some madeleines. The eggnog was sweet, milky, and put other eggnogs to shame! I need to learn how they make this! The madeleines and fruits were all delicious too! Throughout the meal, the waiters were super funny and engaging. They totally shamed us when we didn't finish our food and would try to block our pictures whenever we were taking them. We also got to meet Chef Pascal Barbot (who worked under Alain Passaird) and he was so nice! I love how they spread out the courses so it's a 3 hour meal, so you can enjoy your food and have that Michelin star experience. Since I'm not a fan of mint and a lot of entrees had mint, I think that's what docked one star for me. However, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. read more

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The fiance and I had a bucket list goal to eat at 3-Star Michelin restaurant when we were visiting Paris. We picked L'Astrance for it's online reservation option and overall price. Their lunch menu is €95 and the standard Astrance menu started at €250, not including wines. We figured dining at a 3-star establishment did mean higher expenses, but I wasn't quite ready to blow €450-500 on a single meal. One day, but not quite at that price point yet. The servers were phenomenal. They were efficient, so courteous, and attentive to detail. The pacing was good. Take as long as you want to finish your dish, then a server very quickly will clear the table. Ten minutes later and the next item would come out. The overall atmosphere was very nice, but nothing out-of-the ordinary. Nice table cloths and elaborate orchid arrangements here and there. They mainly want you to focus on the food, which isn't a crime. The cutlery was very nice though, some high quality stuff. Our meal consisted of 11-12 courses. They start you off with bread and butter. Next a series of very delicately constructed small bites. One was this herb infused grapefruit made on the most dainty of wafer cookies. There were chef selected scallops, layered mushroom cakes, duck with raspberry powder, small peppers, delicious fish, black truffle, fruit foam, potato ice cream, artistic plating, deconstructed this and dehydrated that. All of the abstract forms of food you would wish for in a fine dining establishment. Some things tasted incredible, other things just tasted weird to us. It was truly a surprise with every course. I wouldn't say this was the absolute best meal of my life, but it was a very good experience. We get to check "3-Star Michelin" off our bucket list. Good value overall for what it is. read more

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Absolutely wonderful from start to finish, the beautiful delicious food, the lovely space, the personable staff. I liked that the tables around us got different courses on the tasting menu so we weren't spoiled of what was to come. And I wasn't even jealous of their delicious food because ours was so good. I look forward to coming back! read more

I was very excited to procure a lunch reservation to this renown three star Michelin restaurant. Astrance is known as a "foodie's" Michelin restaurant, with great substance to its frills. This award winning dining temple was purported to be about cooking, and not pretension or show. While everything we ate was excellent and tasted quite good, there were few "wows" until dessert. Our lunch was a veritable bargain at 95 Euros per person for a three star Michelin restaurant, but at this same price point, we have enjoyed better food in Paris at restaurants with no stars. La Condesa and Restaurant Louis, both in the 9th Arrondissement, come to mind. The two floored, elegant space, is understated, but in a very refined manner, befitting its 16th Arrondissement location. The 16th and 17th Arrondissements are reminiscent of New York's Upper East Side, old money, with no need to prance. Surprisingly, the majority of the patrons were young tourists in shirtsleeves and sneakers, with only one table of well suited businessmen conversing in French, my expected clientele. No offense kids, I found the shirtsleeves and sneakers tacky and almost disrespectful, but I'm "old school" that way. Service at Astrance was young, like its majority clientele, dressed in dark suits, conversing in multiple languages. Their manner was relaxed three star formal, if that contradiction makes sense. They joked with us, but maintained reverent when describing the food. Portions were ample, and of the highest quality, but that expected "wow factor," was missing. The gravest discord started the meal, a grapefruit, black truffle, amuse bouche, that simply did not taste good. Duck, salmon, etc. we're all good, but I wanted to be blown away. That never happened until our last dessert dish, a whimsical meringue with colorful patterns that we looked at with utter amazement. "How did they do that?" Great restaurants have left me in wonderment after every dish. Arpege struck me with culinary lightning years ago, as did the Jamin of old. That's what multiple starred restaurants do. You dine on culinary magic that leaves a life long impression. I will never forget El Bulli, El Celler de Can Roca, Jean-Francois Piege, or Arzak. They served food with such artistry, I felt honored dining in these restaurants. L'Astrance did not astound me, and I was disappointed. Paris is in the midst of a dining revival. Parisian chefs, with multi cultural identities, are cooking with passion, putting out dishes from their heart and not catering to any trends or bistronomic movements. Awards should not come easy. Astrance was coasting. They better look over their shoulder, because that isn't good enough anymore. read more

We've been here three times for lunch and we love the food, ambiance, and service. One of the times, we have the eight course lunch, and it was one of the best meals of my life. This is partly because it was only 65 euros, before the dollar tanked and before the establishment raised the price of the multi-course lunch to 120 euros due to rising food costs and rising fame after earning a Michelin star. Some of the things we had were: their famous avocado and crab appetizer/salad, beef with a delicious sauce, pristine poached fish, an egg shell filled with the most tasty "soup", and chocolate cake layered with praline. The three course prix fix lunch is excellent too. That's what we had the last time we were there. The service is outstanding too. Each course is served with plates placed in front of the each person at the table exactly at the same time. Same with removing plates at the end of each course. At our most recent visit, we met Chef Barbot who came out of the kitchen at the end of the lunch service to meet diners on their way out. Seems like a nice, down-to-earth young man! The contemporary french decor is very relaxing, all done in soothing greys and golds. This is our very special splurge place when we go to Paris. read more

This was a tough decision, days like this I wish Yelp offered half stars. I really wanted to like L'Astrance, but it just didn't do it for me. Maybe my expectations were too high or something, but I can't say I loved it. I think the main issue we had was with pacing. It was very inconsistent, some courses would come incredibly fast and some others would come 30 minutes later...It was hard to maintain a solid idea of the meal experience the restaurant wishes to offer. One thing that may have affected was that the table next to us seems to have been affiliated with the restaurant, and were getting a lot of stuff very fast and we seemed to be a bit neglected perhaps. With that said, the service is very good and I do enjoy the idea of a surprise menu...That's the main reason why I always go with tastings when I can, I just like to be given what to eat without any thinking. There were some great dishes, such as a langoustine with saffron appetizer and a pork loin main, followed by a lamb with black garlic. The dishes that were good were outstanding, but the rest was forgettable and buried by the lack of consistency in course delivery. Overall, you may have a better experience than me, but mine was average at best. They did have a cool thing though, as an amuse bouche they served a small bowl of vanilla ice cream and mashed potatoes. That was pretty cool and enjoyable, and they like to ask you to guess what it is to see if you could figure it out as the flavors are so familiar. read more

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First I should provide some background information for context. I've dined at a handful of 1-star Michelin restaurants, and come away unimpressed every single time. I've never had 'bad' food at such restaurants, but I've also never encountered spectacular food, or even food that is substantially better than what you can find at a good, unrated restaurant, at this level. Good (but not great) quality + high prices + small portions = disappointment in my book. I've also dined at Manresa, a two-star Michelin restaurant located in California. And that meal was quite easily the best I've ever had. Extreme creativity, artful presentation, and flawless execution made it a spectacular meal. Was Manresa affordable? Absolutely not; but I feel in Manresa's case that the price of admission is entirely justified. The difference between my experience at Manresa and the 1-star establishments I've been to is so vast that it's nearly laughable. Enter L'Astrance, my first 3-star restaurant. Perhaps I walked in with unreasonable expectations, as I thoroughly expected L'Astrance to be as far beyond Manresa as Manresa was beyond those disappointing 1-star restaurants (which it arguably should be, given that L'Astrance is even less affordable by far). I was expecting something otherworldly, something that would leave me completely astonished. Unfortunately, that's not how things played out. Was the food at L'Astrance bad? No, far from it. Was it better than what I would generally expect to find at other unrated or lower-rated places? Yes, it was. Was it spectacular, and the best meal I've had to date? Sadly, no. Overall I would say that L'Astrance is slightly ahead of the 2-star Manresa when it comes to desserts, but slightly behind when it comes to savory dishes. At best it's a toss-up between the two, though personally I'd give the nod to Manresa as I prefer savory over sweet. So yes, you will get an excellent meal here, one that will surpass what you're likely to find at most other places. But that meal comes with a hefty price-tag, and I just can't say that it delivers enough to be worth it. You can get an equivalent (if not slightly better) meal at some 2-star establishments for half the price. For my money, I'd much rather pay a second visit to Manresa than make a return trip to L'Astrance. As far as my own rating goes, I'm a bit torn between 3 stars and 4. I cannot deny that the food here is very good. And if I did not have Manresa to use as a reference point, L'Astrance would certainly have seemed more impressive. But the fact of the matter is I do have that reference point, and can say that there are restaurants out there which provide an experience that is at least as good (if not better) than L'Astrance, for substantially less money. So I think I'll have to say 4 stars if price is no object. But 3 stars once cost/value is factored in. L'Astrance needs to deliver more, or start charging a bit less. read more

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We dine here in 2013 and loved our experience. It was extremely memorable and I looked forward to the day that I could repeat our original experience. Unfortunately, it wasn't the same the second time around. The food and the service was a huge disappointment for a three star Michelin restaurant. Nothing was bad, but only one course was great (dessert). I really didn't enjoy my time here and the fact that it was my last fine dining experience of this stay in Paris really didn't help. They have a surprise menu, which I'm not a fan of. Why is this necessary??? Zucchini and feta was okay. Shrimp, green beans, and peanuts in a spicy sauce was good. Caramelized codfish was not memorable. Chicken and vegetables was bland. Lamb was under par given the menus we had in Paris. Strawberry tart was outstanding and the best course of the menu. Overall, I was highly disappointed in this experience. read more

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Michelin classic. This was a sublime experience in french dining. My husband and I follow the guide's recommendation and L'Astrance has been in our list for a long time. Two things that made our dinner amazing? Wine pairing and Service. The food was top quality. Was it the best tasting meal I've had? No. But was it one of the best dinning experiences we've ever had? Absolutely. The service was top notch. Both of our waiters were courteous and really added to our experience. The best part? THE WINE pairing. Its a MUST. We tastes some of the best pairings we've ever had. Would definitely add L'astrance to the list of dining experiences you should have. read more

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Beautiful modern space that I really loved. Service is on top of things but isn't super personable. Wish they were a bit more friendly. Great wine and the pairings were really spot on. The food was amazing, a nice blend of high end french and asian. Price point was good for what we got. I'd come back for sure. read more

L'Astrance is a small and charming restaurant near the Eiffel Tower. The dishes that Pascal Barbot come up with are creative, appealing to the eyes and orgasmic the taste buds! In one instance, the tastes and flavors were so familiar yet unique and a second later I'm happily perplexed how the combination of of these tastes created wonderful sensations in my mouth! Our dishes were artistic, even technical if that's even possible with food. Most of all they were provocative. Each dish was prepared perfectly with the intent to stimulate my senses: visual delight, aromas that piqued my curiosity, and satisfying tastes and textures. I couldn't see what was going on in the kitchen but Pascal Barbot and the L'Astrance Team are doing things very, very right! Thank you for making our 10 year anniversary a memorable one! ----------------- L'Astrance est un charmant petit restaurant près de la Tour Eiffel. Les plats que Pascal Barbot viennent avec sont créatifs, attrayant pour les yeux et orgasmiques les papilles! Dans un cas, les goûts et les saveurs étaient si familier et pourtant unique et une seconde plus tard, je suis heureux perplexe comment la combinaison de ces goûts créé sensations merveilleuses dans ma bouche! Nos plats étaient artistique, technique, même si ce est même possible avec de la nourriture. Surtout qu'ils étaient provocateur. Chaque plat a été préparé parfaitement avec l'intention de stimuler mes sens: délice visuel, arômes qui a piqué ma curiosité, et les goûts et textures satisfaisants. Je ne pouvais pas voir ce qui se passait dans la cuisine, mais Pascal Barbot et l'Astrance L'équipe font des choses très, très bien! Nous vous remercions de faire de notre 10e anniversaire un moment inoubliable! read more

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The flavor was good, and the fish and lamb main courses really wowed me. The dessert was interesting as well. I only had a glass of red as I had too much champagne in the afternoon. The wine from a central region of France they offered was a pleasant surprise. Overall, the setting was less formal than most of the other Michelin starred restaurants in Paris. I personally appreciate the more relaxed environment that Astrance created. The only thing I didn't like was the bread, the sourdough they offered was cold and boring, just like any bread you can find in more affordable restaurants. There's only one option of the bread. Overall a good experience, but maybe not a Michelin three star. read more

L'Astrance - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Much anticipated, very sophisticated and modern. Light and fresh with a bit of Japanese fusion. Duck is the best I had in Paris so far. Scallops and oysters with Yuzu and Konbu sauce was actually nice. He obviously loves Japan and does it right. First time in French 2-3stars restaurants in Paris offered me a hot hand towel to refresh , good thoughts ( again must have leaned in Japan?) my kind of French really. Perfect all way through this time. read more

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I was stunned - baffled even - the wind entirely removed from my sails; how could such a highly regarded establishment have failed to impress? With the Michelin 3-Star location previously ranking as number two on my list of "must visit" restaurants worldwide I originally thought that perhaps this was simply a case inflated expectations but no matter how I tried I couldn't create a scenario where this was the case. "The Emperor's New Clothes," an idiom my friend and dining partner uses to describe restaurants where he feels many 'pretend' to understand the hype but where he fails to see what all the fuss is about sprung to mind - and then he said those exact words as we emerged from L'Astrance at the end of our 8:30pm dinner on April the 13th, 2011. Course descriptions in the blog. Pictures there and here on Yelp! With the bill settled, bag collected, and a copy of the menu requested it was not long before we found ourselves back on the Rue Beethoven just five minutes after 11:00pm. Having already noted my friend's comments about the Emperor's New Clothes with regard to not understanding the hype I will expound further and say that I actually DO understand the hype as the food can occasionally be brilliant. What I don't understand is the restaurant's attitude - serving whatever it wants to whomever it wants, placing eccentric and contradictory ingredients in places they never belonged - it is like they are unapologetically experimenting at the customer's expense while treating the diner as though it is a privilege to act as a guinea pig. Who knows - perhaps I caught them on a bad night - but considering my previous three-star experiences both in Paris and Stateside there was simply no excuse for some of the dishes we were served...or the ones we weren't served. Then again, I guess L'Astrance never offered an excuse and all things considering I imagine it never does - you're paying for them to do whatever they want. read more

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For $260 euros per person, I expect the best meal in Paris. I had better French meals in Los Angeles CA. Very unique food combination Very unique palette Excellent service I had better food for less cost. If money is not an issue, then it's worth trying. However, for 600 euros for two people including the cheapest bottle of wine on a Tuesday night, I expected much more. I would have given 5 stars is the total cost was 350 euros for two. It's about 50% overpriced. read more

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Exquisite. Gorgeous contradictions & flawless detail. Some places at this level you feel a bit you're being experimented upon- chez L'Astrance, all the kinks have been carefully ironed out. The establishment characterizes the perfect mix of elegant and streamlined decor, with all the right touches. read more

Wonderful restaurant, that is all that needs to be said. A perfect experience with both the food and the wine, and they were paired to perfection. read more

Amazing experience and great value! We came here for lunch and the set menu price was 70€ which is a great value for Michelin Three Star restaurant in Paris. There were about twelve different dishes served including amuse-bouches and every dish was delicate, flavors well balance and delicious! The service was top notch, all of the staff was very friendly and we all really enjoyed our experience. read more

Désolé pour mes amis .fr, Mais je ne pense pas que j'ai la salle, ni la fluidité de traduire mon avis. Anglais, il devra être cette fois. ***** Oddly enough, the only Michelin 3 star restaurant I've been to that fully lives up my perception of the red guide's highest honor. Sure, there is always debate, and the variance at both the 1 and 3 star level certainly fuels that fire. (My current belief is that the most interesting cuisine happens at the high 1 to 2 star level). However, if we take a romanticized view of the bibendum, and think of the rating as an assessment of how far out of the way a person should be willing to go to visit a restaurant, then L'Astrance certainly fits the the "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" assessment. And while I'd like to focus on the cuisine, as it is the reason for coming here, I can't quite ignore the level of refinement in the front of the house. For us Americans who consider TFL and Per se as the reference points for efficient, formal, yet sincere and unobtrusive service, you might change that reference point after dining at L'Astrance. M. Rohat and his team seem to disappear into the background while always anticipating your needs even before you realize it. At one point, they cleared one plate while setting a charger for the next course and I didn't even notice. Almost like a bit of slight of hand, my place was set without the formal ceremony that I typically experience. Add to that the fun game of "guess the wine" and there's a nice balance of playfulness and formality. The cuisine however, is where all of this refinement begins...refine, refine, refine, is what I kept thinking while eating the food. It's obvious that Chef Barbot has a distinctive voice and he uses his minuscule kitchen to be heard without having to be loud. His signature dish of Foie gras mariné au verjus, galette de champignon de Paris, pâte de citron confit was a dish that changes your perception of the main ingredients. Most know foie as a rich, luxurious centerpiece of an ingredient...like truffles or caviar, it's a symbol of luxury about as subtle as a scuderia badge. However, here Chef turns it into a team player, so that the humble button mushroom can have equal footing. Along with them, texture, richness and acid are all balanced out by the individual components. It's a dish that tells a story...one that you can talk about and break down for days, yet it's best to simply eat it up and enjoy it in the moment. Many wonderful dishes preceded and followed, but this is just one example. The ingredients were all exceptional, but I suppose that should be a given. However, I couldn't help but be taken aback by the cheese course. Fleur de Courgette safranee, fruits rouge, gorgonzola cremeux. The rich cheese (perfectly afinee), served as a base, its richness and flavor balanced by the acid in the raspberry and the whole covered with the most ephemeral squash blossom. The blossom appeared to been "cooked" until it was transparent and infused with saffron, however it still retained its natural structure...similar to the compressed melons you see from time to time, but a much more delicate execution. But that raspberry...I don't know if it was simply the most delicious raspberry that I've ever had, or if the components of the dish made me think it was the best raspberry I'd ever had...either way, the final effect was other-worldly. Mind you, I'd sampled flat after flat of raspberries in California in the weeks prior, so I'd refreshed my familiarity with the year's raspberries...but this one instantly made me think that the ones I had been getting simply weren't as good. This was confirmed at Astrance with the final course of fruit....the raspberries on that plate were more typical. Still tasty, but hardly the platonic idea put forth in the cheese plate. So...did they really save the best raspberry in the bunch just for the cheese course, or was it the composition highlighting the fruit? A little of both? I'll never know. L'Astrance is cuisine that approaches on the literary, and while that might appear to be effusive, there is no question that Chef Barbot has a clear, confident and subtle voice in his cooking. And really, there are still far too few places and chefs with that kind of strength. Plus, Chef Barbot rocks New Balances instead of clogs in the kitchen. Total Badass. read more

I was looking forward to this place most of all out of everything we'd carefully chosen for London, Paris, and Barcelona. We were able to get in for a weekday lunch, which is the best price point at 70 euros/pp. Pleasant surprise at the end, this included unlimited water and gratuity. It's not hard to find, located across the Seine from the Eiffel in a quiet neighborhood. Small but quaint inside. There is a small seating area upstairs. If you sit downstairs near that area, I hope the girl dining up there doesn't knock her glass of wine and spill on you... at least it was white. The owner handled it well, and he was actually very friendly. Anyhow the food. Everything was a surprise. First course, amazing - a Thai style peanut/meat sauce and perfectly cooked langoustine tail. The other savory courses were actually just OK. Maybe we didn't eat them correctly because we got short explanations from the waiter who was a little hard to understand and didn't seem so interested in us. I wish I spoke French too, sir! But even basic French wouldn't include enough to understand a high level culinary experience. There was a filet of fish served with a side of some leafy greens in pineapple foam (similar to Vietnamese canh chua). The side was tasty. The fish was just a piece of fish, and I found a couple bones in mine. Not that I care too much but I thought in fine dining this is a huge no-no. I wonder if we were supposed to have had the foam poured onto the fish for more flavor. I didn't see other patrons doing this so who knows? Then there was a duck dish done 2 ways. On the plate was duck with a sauce and a really non-tasty chunk of miso eggplant. In a cup on the side was some more duck with thinly sliced mushrooms dusted with a few spices and some pate-like sauce at the very bottom. The duck was well cooked, but that miso eggplant was all sorts of wrong. As sort of an interlude, we got a mystery item and were told to guess what was in it. This was fun and I was proud of myself for getting it right. I won't describe further so as not to spoil it for others. After this came dessert after dessert. All delicious and redeeming after the disappointing stuff. So a little sad to not have had a 5 star experience here, but I don't regret coming. And I'd come back, if only for lunch. My stomach wouldn't be able to handle more courses. read more

Sooo bad. Almost comically so. We were excited to go to Astrance, but now regret it. We were relegated to the upstairs. Service was poor. No one asked my fiancé if she wanted another glass of wine after the first one. The food was overall pretty bad. This surprised us because my parents had been just a few months prior. It is a carte blanche menu, which can be fun. But not when the food that comes out is bad. One dish, the crab was good, but not special. Throughout the meal we kept wondering if it was going to get better or if we should just end the misery. There was one dish where we were told it has 4 flavors and they will come back after we've had to try and guess. One of those flavors must have been despair. T was truly awful. Mashed potatoes with ice cream. They didn't seam surprised when we said it was disgusting. That was the last straw and asked for the check. No one seemed concerned or to care. In fact I told our server as well as the matire'd that our meal was bad and service was poor. They didn't really apologize. Just said sorry you didn't like it. It's one thing not to like a dish or two. But all of it failed. Off chance it was because it was just back from the holiday, but that's no excuse. Especially for a 3 Star with its reputation. To cap off the night, the credit card machine wasn't working. And we were reminded how bad it when we were charged the next day. read more

If you can afford it go. Absolutely fabulous establishment with gracious service and delightful surprises abounding. If you are on a budget, regimented about what you want to eat, and not up to a 3-4 hour experience...head somewhere else. This is a dining experience and you are not being experimented on...you are being delighted and surprised. The staff and the chef's partner, who man the front of the house, make it fun and inclusive for the diner with flawless service. Chef Bardot is a skilled technician with a sense of humor and it comes through in his food. Make reservations very far in advance...and for god's sake, dress with a jacket and nice shirt...if you've been seated upstairs - there's a reason ;) Dinner for two with wine flight (which should not be missed) approx. 800 USD and worth it! read more

Possibly among the top 1 of restaurant meals I have had. Cleverly saving the best for last, we had lunch at l'Astrance on our last day in Paris. It had rained all morning and my wife and I were soaked and crabby. A 3* lunch was probably the last thing we wanted. Nevertheless, in we go to a warm welcome and a coupe of Champagne. Things are looking up. Our first taste is a pair of ... cookies. One with the brightest sensation of apple I have ever tasted and the other a perfect balance of shortbread and mushroom. Our attitudes were completely adjusted. Then these amazing green spring rolls. And two of the best prawns I have had in my life. With neat and unexpected wine pairings. And on, and on. Including an "ice cream sundae" of mashed potatoes, crème fraiche and cheese. Vibrant flavors with delicate textures. How do they do that? It was only the lunch menu, so we were finished before we knew it. This was the only time all week I wished we had gone for a more extensive menu. But no worries, we will be back. In addition to being a well-deserved 3* restaurant, it is one of the best bargains in Paris. read more

We did lunch here (we were trying to cram in so much food into 2 different legs of our entire France trip that were in Paris), and it lived up to the 3 Michelin stars. That's all I have to say about that. Do it if you're ever in Paris... read more

For being one of the most affordable Michelin-rated restaurants in the world, it is amazing. We splurged on lunch on our trip to Paris and they exceeded both our expectations. We met Chef Pascal after our meal and we were emailed a copy of the menu. The staff was incredible, ambiance was perfect, wine pairings were unbelievable. highly recommend! read more

The dining room is not particularly handsome, maybe it even needs a little updating. But we came to be wowed by the food, and boy were we! Every course was a great surprise or adventure, from the apple and mushroom napoleon to the duck three ways. The savory and the sweet are sequenced in a crescendo, one dish outdoing the other. Loved the little tasting challenge offered up by the staff, took me awhile to figure out the potato and vanilla cream. The desserts are wonderful as well, loved the tapioca with citronella. When you think you are finally done, the staff brings out an amuse selection of the tastiest madeleines, fresh strawberries, cherry, kinkan oranges and egg zabaglione. Great and attentive staff. Will be back next time I am in Paris! read more

My wife and I dined at L'Astrance in June 2017. We came from abroad to celebrate our silver honeymoon. Things went bad already two days in advance, when I called the place to confirm the reservation, which was made as early as possible - in very early April. It turned out that they put us down for the next day, for which we already had other plans. We had no choice but to accept. I will be brief about the food. It was OK, but for a Michelin-starred restaurant - well below expectations. We have dined in a few 2- and 3-star Michelin Paris restaurants so we can compare. Certain dishes were just dull (e.g., the dessert). What was outright bad was the service. Butter was served on a badly-chipped plate (really, a corner was missing) and we had to insist on having it replaced. At certain points the waiters were rude and/or arrogant. There was an error in our check, to the tune of Euro 120, and so forth. Simply unbelievable. After paying, we asked to speak with the shift manager - a guy named Christophe - and mentioned some of the issues. All he had to say was that next year they might start using email for reservations. Throughout, there was never a single word of apology or even a hint of taking responsibility, let alone any attempt to appease us for the frustration. Totally unacceptable. read more

Food disappointing. Foie gras appetizer no taste, chicken entree also disappointing sent it back for duck was better, dessert nothing special. Tired old menu. Definitely not three star. Save your money. read more

one of the best restaurant in paris. i tried many star restaurants, but this one is one of the best and one of the most special. try for yourself. it is really worth it and you will not be disappointed. guranteed! read more