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Not right?
by hitara
Washington, Washington, D.C.
February 28, 2002
We showed up early, just as the restaurant opened at 7 pm, and we were only the second or third customers in the place. Things didn't get off to a great start, since the empty dining room felt cold and barren and the waiters had nothing to do but stare at us as we ate. With that inauspicious beginning, I was amazed at how much the place changed over the course of the next hour. More customers arrived quickly, and the whole place seemed to warm as people entered. We were seated in the non-smoking section, which was one large table in a small side room, and other non-smoking diners joined us at the same table as they arrived. We wound up in conversation with some fellow Americans on our left (Atlanta residents, also in town for a whirlwhind weekend trip) while the locals spoke in French on our right, but the locals were welcoming and the division wasn't at all unfriendly. We even saw one man offer to let another try his meal! The atmosphere in the smoking section looked to be just as convivial, though that section had separate tables.
As for the food, I ordered the prix fixe and had mediocre pate and beef burgundy. In contrast, my companion ordered escargot and duck off the a la carte menu, and both were fantastic.
In all, my recommendation would be to try Lescure for the atmosphere, but go at least an hour after they open, ask for recommendations, and order carefully. Then, enjoy!
From journal Paris for a weekend? In JANUARY?!?