Lunch at L'Arpege

Male age 65: I haven't been to L'Arpege, but when we have eaten either lunch or dinner at Michelin 3-stars in non-Parisian France, I have worn a polyester Travelsmith blazer, an oxford shirt with a tie, and khaki slacks with brown boat shoes. No one has shown the slightest disdain, indeed we were treated well.

My wife usually carries a "crushable" knee-length dress that does not need ironing. She does not travel with pumps of any kind. She wears it once or twice a trip.

When are you going? L'Arpege is actually a bit more casual than many highly starred restaurants. Earlier this year while it was still cool in Paris, I saw men in button down shirts and slacks or designer jeans and women in stylish dark wash jeans tucked into boots as well as men in suits and ties and women in what I call typical dresses/skirts -- the kind of outfit that a woman can wear anywhere except the most formal place and not be over or underdressed. Also, saw a couple of what I call hipster outfits -- funky jacket, interesting shoes (think print Vans) and jeans. None of the jeans that I saw were baggy, ratty jeans. I noticed this because my husband wore regular Levis and he was the only person with jeans that were non-designer. I wore a scoop neck, jersey dress that I bought years ago that I belted at the waist, plain, small gold hoop earrings and a pair of black boots and a black Chanel purse that is several years old. I noticed no problem with service or any negative attitude.

Can someone tell me why you have/need to go to this resturant (for lunch) when the shoes, earnings and jacket you wear is so important? I'm traveling soon to Paris, with my RS roll a long so it certainly can't support fancy outfits, but my budget can... I just choose to travel this way, Is this a Must Go To resturant? Just wondering what the scoop is with the place, as I don't know the name (now I do)!

No one needs to go to L'Arpege. It is a Michelin starred restaurant that is great for vegetarians and specializes in seasonal dishes . The food is exceptional but no one needs to eat there. You go there because you want to experience a certain type of dining; if you don't want that, then skip it. But if you do want to go, bear in mind that if you show up looking a mess, the reaction could be negative like it could be at lots of places. Lots of restaurants in Paris have dress codes and if one does not want to have to adhere to the code then don't go. L'Arpege actually says when you e-mail that they have no dress code. I say that when you arrive, you should look presentable and also know that no one there will be rocking an extremely casual, sloppy look. The outfit that I described is pretty much what I wore everyday in France (and most days at home) this winter and spring -- same earrings, bag and boots but different clothing and same thing for my husband -- jeans and long sleeved shirt. The point was that we looked like we took a few minutes to put together our clothing.

"crushable" knee-length dress that does not need ironing.
"scoop neck, jersey dress that I bought years ago"

Sounds like they pack right into a 21" roll-aboard and could fit in anywhere. I always have an outfit like that with me. Nothing fancy but simple and classic. Enjoy L'Arpege!

Bets is right: my dress did fit in a 21-inch carry on, which is the size luggage that I carry for most trips. I have big feet and I had a pair of sneakers and flats and work out clothes in that bag and clothes sufficient for an 8-day trip. You'd be amazed a what one can fit in a carry on bag. Like Tim's wife, I usually wear my "go-to" dress once or twice on a trip.

My wife and I had lunch at L'Arpege about two years ago and it was an incredible experience. The staff are extremely welcoming and professional, not in the least bit snotty. The other guests were mostly the business crowd and a handful of tourists. We were not dressed fancy, nor sloppily, but were made to feel very welcome.

L'Arpege is perennially ranked among the top restaurants in the world. I believe it was in the top 20 in the Forbes list of the world's best restaurants that just came out a few months ago. I think there was only one other restaurant in Paris that was even in the top 50. The chef, Alain Passard, is an absolute genius. One of the highlights of our dining experience was when Mr. Passard actually came to our table at the end of the service, personally asked us how we enjoyed our meal, and shook our hands. All of their produce is grown on his farm and delivered fresh to the restaurant each day. I can't say enough about how amazing the entire experience was.

We made a reservation online about six months before our trip. I doubt you could get a table if you just walked in.