Is Guy Savoy Restaurant that Amazing?

I%26#39;m thinking about booking lunch here, but it was not my top choice (because of the modern decor) but many of my choices are closed for the month of August.

If anyone has dined here and could give me some insight as to their dining experience that would be great.

We have ate at many of the restaurants in 5 Star Hotels (i.e., Ritz and/or Four Seasons), but that has been in the U.S. I%26#39;m trying to ascertain what makes these French chiefs so amazing. And if in fact, it%26#39;s true that they are so amazing, should I go for Guy Savoy?

Other choices that are open and that I am considering are include Pre Catalan or Leyoden.

Thanks.

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Whether you find the food amazing compared to restaurants in the US depends to a large degree on taste and whether you enjoy French fine dining. Because French fine food is my favorite, my personal opinion is that there is nothing like dining in Paris, and that is true for not only fine dining but also bistros and the newer %26quot;gastronomic bistros.%26quot; The difference from US fine dining establishments is that the ingredients tend to be of the finest quality at all times, and the cooking is more refined. The reality is that the best American chefs almost all have trained in Paris at one time or another. I have dined at several of the %26quot;best%26quot; restaurants in the US, including Daniel Boulud%26#39;s restaurant, Manresa, Masa, Charlie Trotter%26#39;s, Alinea, Aqua, Michael Mina, Le Bernardin, and French Laundry (Thomas Keller being considered the best chef in America by many), and none of these places compares to several of the 3 Michelin starred Parisien places or French places for that matter (e.g. Paul Bocuse in Lyon). My favorite Parisien places are L%26#39;Arpege (Alain Passard has been turning out the finest traditional simple, yet refined food for years) and L%26#39;Ambroisie (Bernard Pacaud is also a genius). But Guy Savoy is very good. More casual than the other three starred places. The artichoke and truffle soup is one of the best things you%26#39;ll ever put in your mouth. The tasting menus are 275 Euros and about 350 Euros currently, I think. If this is too pricy, consider lunch. You could also go a la carte, but the menu prestige is definitely worth paying the extra Euros. If you e-mail the restaurant directly, you can ask for the 100 Euro lunch special, which includes half an appetizer, an entree, and half a dessert, with some other %26quot;surprises.%26quot; But for the real experience, and if you are OK paying it, dinner is the way to go for the real experience. Pre Catelan and Ledoyen are OK in my opinion, but not outstanding, Savoy being better than both. I%26#39;m not sure if it%26#39;s open when you are there, but one other place to consider is Le Cinq in the Four Seasons George V. The chef, Eric Briffard, has really come into his own.

On another note, for less expensive, and outstanding %26quot;gastronomic%26quot; bistro experiences, you might consider some of the following (although I don%26#39;t know which will be open when you are there): Chez l%26#39;ami Jean (Stephane Jego is the best non-Michelin starred chef in Paris, in my humble opinion), La Regalage, Le Chateaubriand, Le Comptoir, L%26#39;Angle du Faubourg (the one-starred sister restaurant to the outstanding two Michelin-starred institution, Taillevent).

Bon Appetit.