Lunch

I wanted to do something different because it was Mother’s Day. Although this would cover the same ground as our hop-on tour yesterday, our two-hour lunch proved to be a highlight of the weekend. We boarded with about fifteen minutes to go before departure. Diners are seated upstairs while food is prepped downstairs—although I imagine it was initially cooked elsewhere.

We ordered some wine, impressed at the table setting that provided ways for glasses and bottles to be secured against the inevitable shake of the bus traversing Paris’ cobbled streets. The first course was a salmon gravlax with honey vinaigrette and fresh goat’s cheese, and it was of superb quality. It may have been the best course. The cod and tomato risotto with a Basque sauce was creamy and delicious. Blanquette-style veal stew was on the menu, but the dish that appeared was less stew than expected. The veal pulled apart easily with a saltiness that was just right. The chocolate profiterole dessert was filled with ice cream with a rich chocolate sauce. At booking, I’d mentioned it was Mother’s Day in the UK, and we chatted about this with the waitress. When other guests got their profiteroles with a candle and a chorus of “Joyeux Anniversaire”, Mum got a candle without the accompaniment. She was delighted. There was also a tote bag gift on departure. Coffee was served as we headed back up the Champs-Élysées.