Michelin Red: France 1991

During our recent, 1st trip to Paris, we relied heavily on the Michelin guide to ensure the style of food and service was appropriate. We were not disappointed. The reviews were accurate and up to date. Since the guide coevers France as a whole, there is a gap in Paris coverage. There are many more great restaurants not listed, so we recommend getting a second book to supplement their coverage.

I guess I'm stunned that some American readers of the Michelin Red Guides find the Michelin Guide to France useless because it's written in French. Hey, fellow Americans, guess what: the one on Italy in written in Italian, the one on Spain in Spanish, the one on Portugal in Portuguese, and the ones on NYC and Great Britain are written in English. Wow! How about that? Who'd a thunk it? I've been using the Michelin guides to all these places for 40 years. My French is poor, my other language skills non-existent. I wouldn't think of planning a trip anywhere that they had a guide without having a fresh copy in hand to pick out hotels and restaurants. You soon learn the coding system: three house units for a hotel in a major city is "1st class", like the tour groups take you to, and you'll probably run into some; in the country, 3 house units can be fine. Look for rocking chairs, especially in red, if you like peace and quiet. In fact, while the best hotels have more "house units" (up to 5), and there's a direct price correlation, the most attractive places and best values are sometimes two and often three or four house units in red. Truth is, any special indication within quotes in red, like "beau site" marks a hotel as something special and worth checking out in its price class. The hotel prices quoted are often lower than reality. Ever since the adoption of the Euro sparked instant 10% inflation in Europe, prices at the nicer places have been rising quickly. Sometimes the guides can't keep up. It's a good idea to plan on 10% over what they quote for a rack rate, remember VAT and service can add 15%-20% depending upon the country, and check the internet for special deals. Michelin is most controversial for its star rating system of restaurants. In truth, I regard them as highly reliable and usually plan my trips around them, but it's also worth checking Gault-Millau or another source as confirmation. Michelin is slow to drop stars, slow to add them, and that's worth keeping in mind. If simple, good food and not gastronomy is what you're after, pick any place with at least two sets of crossed knife and fork, and you won't be disappointed. You'll save a lot of money into the bargain. But you'll have to deal with the foreign language while you're there. In a word, don't leave home without it.

Two years on since my last review, (Michelin THE RED GUIDE 1998), and the guide only gets better. Because the book works on a system of symbols that describe the various facilities available to the motorist, and other tourists in France, it is easy to use with confidence. At the front of the book these sybols are fully explained in both French and English so why do so many people complain about the book being "in French", a star is a star is it not, even if it is une etoile. Having said that, this years improvement is a descrptive passage for many entries and this is in French, but hey, give it a go, it's not that difficult. I have always found that the French are more receptive and more friendly if you try to communicate in French, no matter how poorly, so it's worth the effort. And this book will take a lot of the effort out of deciding where to stay, where to eat and how to get there. One hundered years old and still going strong.

It's not the only one, but it's the oldest and the most complete guide to France's hotels and restaurants. Packed with data, maps, it is a hefty book not always practical to lug around. Have your chauffeur carry it for you while you have lunch at Troisgros...!

As a frequent business traveler, I have gotten to rely on the Michelin Guides for my dining choices. It has usually served me very well. However, I was a bit disappointed on my recent trip to Rome. I was thoroughly impressed with my dining experience at La Pergola Restaurant at the Cavalieri Hilton. Your guide rates this as one star. (possibly underrated). Using your same guide, I dined with several business colleagues at the Sans Souci Restaurant. My experience here was not comparable to my dining experience at La Pergola. (In fact, it was much less). Presentation, service, and quality were not on the same level. My business colleagues, who also dined with me at La Pergola, shared these views as well. In my opinion, either the rating on the Sans Souci should be decreased or the rating of La Pergola should be increased. I would suggest that you review both restaurants again and make the necessary adjustments to your next issue.