Fouquet’s
I’ve seen some negative comments in the past about a reception and dinner at Fouquet’s for some of the trips that include Paris. We’re on the French Escapade now and the first night event was lovely. The food was delicious as was the ambiance and entertainment. The only negative comment we’ve heard was that there was no choice of entree, it was sea bass and some don’t care for fish. The menu was typical French haute cuisine which might not appeal to everyone but overall it was a wonderful evening. Perhaps things have improved since others who were disappointed have traveled.
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I was at Fouquet’s for a farewell dinner on April 28th. We were able to choose between the sea bass or Lamb and placed our order a week before the dinner. . I didn’t remember what I ordered - it was the sea bass which was delicious. The rest of the meal was wonderful. I think there must have been a time when Tauck stopped going to Fouquet’s, but whatever the reason they appear to be on track. Lovely way to end our time in Paris.
We are on the Nice to Paris French Escapades this May 30. Any tips on the trip would be greatly appreciated.
Our welcome reception and dinner for the Savoring France tour in 2019 was held at Fouquet's and we enjoyed the meal as well. I don't recall the main dish I had, probably fish, but I will always remember the scrumptious escargot.
We just returned from French Escapade South Bound.. From what I recall of the Fouquet dinner the first 2 courses were fabulous. We had the chicken for the main course which was not good..dry and chewy.
Gee, I was just wondering what kind of reaction I'd get if I asked the serveur to bring me ketchup and put it on, whatever?
or . . . instead of waiting for a small ramekin, pull out a bottle of Heinz.
CindyL…we just returned from the Escapade southbound last Tuesday, first trip of the season, departed 4/19. Everyone had Sea Bass. What trip were you on?
AlanS- funny post, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a LOL!
Alan - Speaking of reactions at a meal.
We were traveling on a tour with some friends and we were having breakfast in a hotel in London. The woman friend asked the waiter if she could have a Diet Coke (she's really hooked on them). The waiter laughed and said, 'That's a joke, right?' It wasn't, but we all chuckled.
After breakfast, she made her husband walk down the street to McDonald's and get her a Diet Coke.
We were just at Fouquet's for the Welcome Dinner (on May 20, I think) - French Escapade. There was a surprise first course (not listed on the table menu) - an amuse bouche consisting of four different bites, a chicken course, the sea bass entree, and dessert. Maybe salad as well. It was very good, but I agree that there should have been choices for the entree at least. Maybe if you had told Tauck in advance of dietary needs? My daughter, a vegetarian, could not have eaten the set meal.
Tauck asks you to tell them before the tour if you have any specific dietary needs, allergies, whatever. On our last tour several People never said In advance that the don’t eat fish. It caused extra fuss for the TD when a set meal of fish came out which could so easily have been corrected if it had been known I’m advance.
I remember on one of my 42 Tauck tours, including in France several years ago that our group also dined at Fouquet's. All that I remember from back then was that meal itself was lovely and that there were a number of choices we could make (not a set menu), musical entertainment with dinner was great as was the entire experience. I know that since the Pandemic and increased travel of everyone to Europe and elsewhere that Tauck and its vendors have all had to make a number of changes/adjustments in travel. Still, Tauck's travel experiences will always remain firstrate IMHO. :-)
Looking back at our Savoring France trip in 2018 I came across our menu from Fouquets. As I recall the food was quite tasty but those who had an aversion to veal were probably out of luck. We did not have a choice in the menu.
In 2017 our dinner was there. We were given the menu in advance by the TD. The only entree offered was veal. We don’t eat veal so the TD was able to change ours to fish. The fish was vile. Possibly spoiled. There was enough of everything else that we didn’t exactly go hungry.
Why are people getting so excited about this pretty basic offering? Why would Tauck offer just Veal when so many people object to it? I like veal ,but so many people do not.
I have to agree with British. Fouquet's is nothing to get excited about. While the location (heart of the Champs Elysee) and ambience may be nice, it's basically a not very exciting tourist restaurant. Like so many businesses along the Champs Elysee, they are geared more to the tourist than the Parisian. Their regular menu features such French (not!) dishes as L' Hamburger and Les Fish and Chips.
I'll be dining there in a couple of weeks and will be sure to mention it in my trip review (French Escapade).
We had our welcome dinner there last May before our Rhone cruise. To be honest I do not remember anything being great there. Agree it’s a tourist restaurant, but adequate.
IMHO, based on all of my previous travels with Tauck throughout Europe, all of the major cities (e.g. Paris, Rome, Venice, etc.) are "tourist traps" now. The only way to avoid them is to visit areas in them which do not have large tourist concentrations. They exist but one really has to look for them off the beaten path. :-)
Just back from Tauck's too-quick A Week in The Riviera, Provence & Paris, a revamp of an old itinerary that disappeared for a few years. Our farewell reception/dinner was at the scenic and delicious Les Ombres, in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower, which alas may not be able to accommodate a cruise-sized group. Same for the delightful addition to the itinerary, the Alain Ducasse Sur Seine trés haute cuisine luncheon on a new electric boat, definitely a tour highlight. Hopefully Tauck will consider alternatives to Fouquet's.
We are going on The French Escapade river cruise in August. What is the dress for the Private gala evening at the Chateau Duchy d'Uzès and for the farewell dinner at Fouquet's? Should I definitely wear a dress and should my husband wear a sport coat with a starched shirt? Which event is the dressier of the two? I'm trying to figure out if I need two dresses or will one suffice for both of these events. Or, will dress slacks and a very nice blouse me will do?
Be comfortable. A nice blouse and slacks are very acceptable. If it’s warm your husband may find the sport coat too hot. We ate outside at the Chateau.
My personal preference is to always dress up for special events. Slacks and a nice top might be more suitable for the outdoor event. My husband always wears a jacket with or without a tie, but that is also his preference. Flat shoes should be worn due to the gravel at the chateau. August temperatures can be brutal during the day, however.
Just returned from this trip. Review to follow soon. To answer Golfalot's question, dressy is optional. There are maybe 4 nights where people dressed up (Fouquet's, Uzes, the Captain's dinner and the farewell dinner). Most men wore coats, but many did not. The only time it was encouraged was for Fouquet's. The daily schedule "recommended" a coat for men. That being said, all the dressy occasions are with the tour group only. So, you're not living up to any required dress code for the venue or dealing with local standards. The room used at Fouquet's is upstairs from the main restaurant and accessed from a side entrance.
Thank you to Choc, kfnknfzk and Ken from Vegas for your quick responses to my dinner apparel questions. I am so appreciative that you took the time to give me precise and very good information and advice. Thank you. August is probably the hottest month for the cruise but it is the only time we could go and we're hoping it isn't as hot as the deep South is in August.
Golfalot,
Have a wonderful trip and please consider posting a review of your experiences.
We just finished Day 8 (of 13) of Normandy, Brittany, Paris & Loire Valley (small group). On the way to our hotel in Dauville, our TD asked everyone for Farewell Dinner (Day 12 at Fouquet’s) selections- Starter (no choice): Salmon; Entree: choice of Sea Bass or Veal; Dessert: ? (no choice).
I enjoyed the sea bass and thought dinner was very nice.
Franlovestravel - that’s why I started this thread.
After 42 tours/trips with Tauck (or it could be the case with any group travel with any company), I found that the food, etc., was good, but it could never be as great as if one were dining alone or with only a few folks. The larger the group, the less time that the kitchen folks (no matter the restaurant or location) have in preparing and serving the meals. The best meals (hot and good) were when we had those nights "free" and we could find our own good restaurants to dine at, even in Europe. It is what it is. :-) I remember that years ago in Europe when dining on Tauck nights, we could even choose up to a full 8 courses at the restaurants (most folks did not do it, but I did); unfortunately, that "benefit" only lasted for a few years before even Tauck (and those fancy restaurants in Europe) stopped doing it and limited the dinner course to o/a 3 or so. Sigh. Again, "group travel" has its limitations and everything can eventually change. :-)
Hate to say this, but after reading all the posts, I am thinking, maybe pass on this dinner thing. There are far too many excellent places to eat, rather than settle for a fixed menu that is rather limited. Nice to meet everyone at the start of a tour. However, we are going to be on a boat for the better part of a week…….see you onboard. With limited time in Paris, no time to waste