Onz, thanks for another beautifully done review. The context you provide — including demographics — is both illuminating and useful.
The sound level you describe (and now I am remembering Dr. John’s dB measuring device that he often used) probably is enough to keep this off our list. But I’m interested in more about the chef here, “Flavio Lucarini, who previously had been at … Bistrot Flaubert.”
We had a fabulous dinner there (Flaubert) in mid July, and have been thinking about returning soon. Now I’m wondering if he’d already departed there by the time we down to there?
In any event, thanks for this — and all of your recent reviews, so delightfully rich in content.
The “lack of soul” maybe a problem for me as well as the NY prices on the (to me not interesting) à la carte menu. But your reasonably priced, interesting lunch menu seems a draw. Also, what is with the different seats at the tables. Some look very comfortable with arms, and then there are the flimsy kind of tulip seats that look like office furniture to me. Anyway, I might be tempted for lunch at some point to try…And thanks for the review of a restaurant, again not on my radar.
Thanks, onz. My reply is over here.
Hey onz, I just remembered a question I meant to ask you. You described an amuse bouche at Hémicycle as “the creamy plate being whipped marscapone with a smoked hay sauce”. Was that meant to be eaten with bread, with some veggie or just by itself?
(copy and paste from another post)
I adored my lunch at Hémicycle for the food as much as the ambiance. But a very power lunch insider kind of ambiance and lots of table hopping to say hi to business contacts and old friends from uni. And, the day I was there, a bit of glamour thanks to the presence of a few famous fashionistas. Yet, I agree that it is far less suitable for tourists, especially older ones.
Because the clientele is not supplied by central casting, the tone and restaurant theatre likely change daily and from lunch to dinner. I’ll also note that my parents went for dinner with friends and enjoyed it immensely.
With a spoon, although one could have used bread, too,
I went back to Hémicycle last week. I urge you to try it, if you can.
We just went to Hémicycle today. I will do a longer write-up in due time, but I just wanted to add now, that our meal was excellent, and the 49E Menu Dejeuner is a bigger steal than the one at Les Parisiens, with 3 fabulous amuses-bouche plus wonderful mignardises to go along with great house-made bread and butter and the entrée-plat-dessert.
Many thanks, @onzieme, for the rec!
You’re welcome, @andygottlieb42. I just returned to Paris today and have a dinner reservation at Hémicycle for next month (first time I’ll have been there at dinner as opposed to lunch). I’ll report back then.
We returned to Hémicycle for lunch last month.
It was a glorious day and we enjoyed the walk there from the place we were staying in the 6e.
We chose the 89E lunch menu, and I had the wine pairings.
I really like the room. It filled up more, though not completely, over the course of the lunch, with only one or two other American groups. The decor, tables, light fixtures, even the placemats, all were interesting to look at.
Several of the chairs were very similar to the quite modern (for the 1970s) Scandinavian ones my parents had at our kitchen table growing up.
The several amuses (we had more kinds because my wife doesn’t eat shellfish) were quite nice, including the one served on a crab shell.
The bread and house-made butter were quite good.
I confess I don’t remember this very pretty first course.
The stuffed morel was the star dish of the day. The crisped toast that accompanied it was more pretty than anything, although it added a bit of texture.
My wife’s fish main was good. My poultry main with asparagus was very good.
The “cacio e pepe” dish was… different. Not bad different, mind you - it was actually tasty - but only reminiscent of the original Italian dish.
I thought the pre-dessert and dessert (served two ways) were fine, but nothing special.
The madeleine mignardises, with a cream to go along with them, were nice.
Overall, a very fair value for a lot of courses. While only the stuffed morel dish was a “wow”, we enjoyed it enough that we are certain to return.
We had a very good lunch at Hémicycle yesterday. As Andy confirmed in another thread, when you book lunch and choose the “à la carte” option, you are not held to that. We went with the €55 chef’s choice for lunch.
We combined this with a visit to the National Assembly (I’m a sucker for a theme) so had to take a 12:00 reservation. Needless to say, we were the only ones there for quite awhile. When we left just after 1:30, there were only 2 other tables occupied of 3 diners each: all men, all business, all French.
I almost asked our Italian server to switch to French because I’m pretty sure my menu French is better than his menu English. I only mention that because I couldn’t understand some of the ingredients so my details might be sketchy.
We were celebrating so started with a glass of sparkling wine. I loved this wine - light on the bubbles but very bright in flavor.
I won’t bother with pics of the amuse-bouches because they were exactly the same as Andy’s a couple months ago. Smoked fish beignets and a lime palate cleanser- a true pucker-up moment.
The appetizer was a dish of beans, peppers, tomatoes & Parmesan. It ate almost like a thick soup, which was perfect on a cold, drizzly day.
We were first told that the main was chicken with mushrooms, and the server recommend this wine.
But then it was beef, which we were warned about beforehand. ? We like wines from Auxey-Duresses so probably wouldn’t have changed it anyway.
This was a wonderful dish, heavy on the porcini, light on the beef - and the sauce was so rich, but in a good way.
Light cream sandwiched between thin wafers, plums, chocolate and marigolds were on the dessert plate. I was excited to see a sauce spoon put out for dessert.
The mignardise was not a madeleine but a cross between that and a kouign amann, I think.
And that other hémicycle.
