Taillevent tops new Zagat Paris restaurant guide

PARIS, April 30 (AFP) – Taillevent remains Paris’ top restaurant according to the new 2004/2005 edition of the Zagat guide, a foodie bible based on the opinions of 4,346 restaurant-goers who rate establishments on a scale of 0 to 30.

It is the fifth year running that Taillevent has clinched top spot amid the 950 restaurants tried in the city by the guide, which is edited by Tim and Nina Zagat and has just been released.

Notable changes in the top 10 for the “Best Food” category include Guy Savoy and Le Cinq (chef Philippe Legendre), which have moved up the ranks from seven to two and 11 to three respectively.

However Alain Ducasse’s restaurant in the posh Plaza Athenee hotel, which came in second last year, barely makes the top 10 at number nine.

This year’s guide sees a Japanese restaurant join the pick of the crop for the first time with Hiramatsu charting at number six.

Zagat reviewers, who eat out an average of 3.3 times per week, were also asked to grade their biggest gripes about the Parisian restaurant experience: 42 percent rated service their biggest annoyance, with prices riling 13 percent and cigarette smoke getting up 12 percent of respondents’ noses.

© AFP

                                               Subject: French news