5.0 Le Vraymonde, 4, rue d'Anjou in the 8th, 01.83.96.88.70, open 7/7 is in the lovingly restored Buddha-Bar Hotel which has really cool lamps outside, what we called "whore-house red" decor inside and a charming garden with tables for scores of youngsters at night.
As a consenting adult who does due diligence I knew that the Buddha Bar:
(1) is a brand that caters to the Bobo and cocktail set,
(2) is outrageously expensive (50-60 E a la carte without liquids), and
(3) has probably spent more money on its redesign than the Picasso Museum.
I tried unsucessfully to get someone to go with me but was rebuffed (as I was at Allard, which should teach me something, but I'm a slow learner) so I reserved myself, ensuring there was indeed a 29 E 2-course, 39 E 3-course "market menu" even at Sunday lunch. The amuse was a lovely lentil soup with a chunk of lobster and I ordered up some Bordeaux waiting for the fireworks from Chef Dia.
For firsts my choices were liver, kidney and beet slices with greens (my choice, not pictured) or duck with something; for mains, a poitrine of veal with wild rice, veggies, dried tomatoes and a spicy sauce (my choice, versus the brandade of cod); and a mango sorbet on top of a chocolate cakey thing with a strawberry slice (in November, "market menu?")
My bill, with a half-bottle of wine, no bottled water and a coffee with a canelé amounted to 60 E.
Go? Despite the quiet "one hand clapping" atmosphere (62.8 dB, well, no one else was there, and despite the overloud music that went from Swan Lake to American pop to Platoon to Asian-like), the elegant decor and the not disgraceful food, it was not exciting either and nothing like the stuff she cooked up at the 144/Petrossian.
