Spring Restaurant in Paris is a collaboration between Illinois born chef Daniel Rose and the best of seasonal French ingredients. The number of covers here is tiny, although up from his original 16 to 28, and the kitchen is open, visible from wherever you sit.
Don’t expect a lot of choice on the menu, in fact you won’t find any, so this is not the place for the faddiest of eaters to visit unless you’re prepared to compromise although if you have allergies to anything they will do their best to help. The menu is set, everyone has the same, and every mouthful is superb. Considering what most haute cuisine restaurants charge the dinner price is very reasonable. There are usually five courses, each offering different flavours and unusual combinations, some of which you may instinctively turn away from thinking they are not to your taste but my advice is don’t, try everything, and you’re bound to be won over.
The service is excellent, young, friendly and informed. When brought your cheese tasting course (for that is what it is) you’re told exactly what they are and which to start and finish with. I personally don’t like very strong cheese, the moment I made that apparent I was offered an alternative, but the three prior courses had already practically finished me off. I could then only be tempted by strawberries and a taste of home made ice cream which was served with a delicious mixture of chocolate sorbet and truffles. All in tiny dishes for tasting purposes. And all impossible to resist.
Tables here are booked months in advance and the only way to get in at the last minute, but an extremely risky way, is to call up on the day for last minute cancellations. Don’t hold your breath, one with a reservation who can’t make it will be bound to pass it to a friend so if you have any plans to visit Paris and you’d like to try something completely away from the norm make your plans early.
Here’s the review from the New York Times – it seems that they liked it as well. No surprise……
Spring Restaurant - 6 Rue Bailleul 75001 Paris, France 01 45 96 05 72– photos courtesy of Mr Owen Franken ( http://www.owenfranken.com/ )