5.8 La Regalade Conservatoire, 7-9 rue du Conservatoire in the 9th (Metro; Grandes Boulevards), 01.44.83.83.60, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays is sited in the newly renovated Nell Hotel and the decor is Wilmotte dazzling. It conforms to Doucet's formula of 3 dishes for 35 E - albeit there are several specials calling for 4-10 E supplements - plus his (and to give him credit - Yves Camdeborde's) great crusty bread, terrine a volunte and madeleines book-ending the meal.
I started with the black (from squid ink) risotto, wonderful roast gambas and an emulsion of Vache Qui Rit (I'm not kidding) diminished a notch by some (unnecessary), over-smoky espilette; then moved on to the half-salty cod a la plancha with chopped veggies and (again, I'm afraid) an unnecessary shellfish sauce as well as pistachio topping; and ended with the Grand Marnier souffle which thankfuly he didn't mess with the standard version thereof.
With some glasses of Reuilly, no bottled water, but a coffee, my bill was 57 E.
Go? As F. Simon says "Once, you must," but please reserve a week in advance (they were turning people away) and don't expect it to be populated with locals, it's already been discovered by our Yankee bretheran and Japanese eaters. And don't expect a gutsy repetition of the old original in the 14th or somewhat more refined St Honore version, to my taste-buds he's gone a bit over the top with #3.
