6.5 Le Lulli in the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal, 4, rue de Valois in the First, 01.42.96.72.20, open for lunch only weekdays (Metro: Palais Royal) is a knock-out looking restaurant in a knock-out looking hotel across from the Palais Royal Gardens. (It's the sort of place where the waiters wear white gloves when handlng the silverware.) I entered way ahead of time and so ordered some wine and they immediately produced bread (OK), butter (fine) and battered fried strips of sole with a tartare (picture disappeared) that made all the others I've had over the summer and fall taste pathetic. My friends showed up, got the same pre-amuse and then we all got the main amuse of a dense, dark, intense lobster bisque with some cripsy things on top. "Top top" as Chirac would say.
We perused the carte and Madame decided to forgo to 42 E three course "menu" which the two men decided to have, starting with a tourte of grouse, veal liver and foie gras with a dense, dark, intense sauce that had a pepper after-taste - heaven!
Then Madame had the blue lobster which was as tender as can be and the two guys had the "hearts" of cod with wonderfully roasted endives and a perfect sauce. At this point we got another starred resto touch, a palate cleanser of stark white lemon ice in a stark white bowl with stark white chips - blinding perhaps but delicious.
At this point I began to lose track of things - Madame, it seems without ordering it, got what was called a lemon tart with meringue, M. a tart of Poire Williams and I a tart of chocolate. Wonderful all.
Our bill, now I'm not going to lie to you, just fiddle a bit with the numbers, with two persons ordering the 42 E menus and wine and coffee, amounts to 126 E - no kidding.
Go? Another for my better half.