l'Ambroisie -- still mean?

Question

Wondering what people think about l'Ambroisie these days? Do they still treat non-regulars meanly? We were thinking about going there for dinner in June, as opposed to L'Arpege where I assume the cost of dinner is roughly similar.

(We will instead go to L'Arpege at lunch, which we have liked in the past. Of course, l'Arpege offers a relatively affordable lunch menu unlike l'Ambroisie.)

Answer

While I do think that l'Ambroisie is too often very disapointing for non-regulars, I also agree that they have, in general, the most heavenly food. I wouldn't say that they're mean, but they're not always wonderful. My experiences over the years have ranged from orgasmic to infuriating to plain boring. For less than the cost of wine there, you can have lunch at l'Arpège, which is as interesting as dinner there. So, why chose?

Answer

Hi all, I'm new here
Just would like to share my experience at l'Ambroisie during dinner in Feb '10
Cheers

My wish to eat at Ambroise during the black truffle season finally became reality in early 2010. 

Food (and wine) - 98/100

Unlike my previous visits, I know exactly what I want to eat this time so I didn’t really bother to consult with the maitre d’. 
- I chose sweet and barely heated scallop with truffle on top; the tender scallop is bathed in thick watercress (& truffle) veloute. A great appetizer to begin my meal
- Lobster is a dish that I always had every time I eat here – this time is no exception. My 2nd dish was firm and meaty lobster prepared with rich peas puree and intense red wine reduction, another tasty dish yet my favorite lobster here is the one prepared with star anise sauce, usually served in autumn
- Then come, possibly the most discussed dish in any Ambroise’s forum – feuillete truffle bel humeur: foie gras is sandwiched by thick and smoky black truffle wrapped in fragrant and airy pastry. As if the truffle was not sufficient, there was truffle puree below the delicious pastry and on the salad. The truffle was of good quality; it was a very filling and rich dish. It’s just that when I cut it into two, the smell did not really truffle to the surrounding, only wrapped within my table – the ‘a-ha’ moment was not as bizarre as I thought. Overall, it’s excellent
- After many strong-flavored dishes, there was no better dessert than a kind that mixed sour, freshness and (a little) sweet. A warm melting biscuit with mandarin sorbet was a brilliant answer for this 

All of these were accompanied by a half-bottle of Mersault ’05 and Badoit sparkling water. I was told that monsieur Lemoullac, its respected sommelier and manager, retired at the end of ’09. Christophe was the replacement – he’s rather lacked in charisma and communication skill of his predecessor. Though I didn’t talk too often to Mr. Lemoullac, but I felt that something was missing at L’Ambroise without his presence. This is indeed my best meal at L’Ambroisie – only a few other places such as Arpege, Veyrat Annecy ever received such high score in my note – no doubt 3-star or even should be in the group of “4-star” 

Service (and ambiance) - 93/100

There have been mixed reviews about the hospitality at Ambroisie – some people, often newcomers, said that they’re mean while the regulars usually received wonderful service. I visit this place about once every 1.5 years, so perhaps I fell in between category (more towards new comer). Generally, they will treat with you as a gentleman (and ladies); they will greet you with smiles and serve you the basic and necessary things for the standard of 2-3 star restaurants. But if you expect to be treated like a ‘king’, the expectation was too high. You will not get Alain Ducasse or Guy Savoy kind of service where the staffs would go the extra miles and do whatever they could to make you happy. The food is king here. The décor is more like luxury Parisian house in the past – full of classic chandeliers and paintings. They’re exactly the same as my earlier visits; this place indeed never changes – the people, the décor and the dishes (seasonal). As I consider overall experience when visiting Michelin-starred restaurants or other fine dining places, I would give this place 2 ¾* for the general score of 96.5 

More detailed reviews - http://zhangyuqisfoodjourneys.blogspot.com/2011/02/lambroisie-bernard-pacaud-3rd-visit.html
Pictures - https://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/LAmbroisieParisFrance3rdVisit#

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l'Ambroisie -- still mean?

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