LA GRANDE NOSH
A global round-up of the best and worst in restaurant dining, from the pen of world champion raconteur, food-lover and one-time Olympic badminton quarter-finalist, Jack Abelhammer.
PARIS
ROYAL GARDEN
(new opening)
As seen in Playtime (1967)
Price: $$$$
Cuisine: European
I attended the gala opening of this opulent new restaurant whose menu boasts a traditional array of French stalwarts, and where dining can be capped off with a little shimmy on its sizable dance floor. The shiny, geometric, non-ergonomic interior design means that the process of taking in a meal at the Royal Garden is far from comfortable in the traditional sense of the word, but things became a little looser once there were more bodies packed into the space. I ordered the flambéd turbot with lemon sauce but it never arrived at my table – perhaps the result of opening night teething troubles. It’s a lively spot, but I’d probably have to return in a year or so to see if the staff have bucked up their game – if it’s still open for business.
LA RATATOUILLE
(new opening)
As seen in Ratatouille (2007)
Price: $$
