The best restaurant in Paris

The Paris edition of Zagat Survey was released earlier this month, and Taillevent was voted No. 1 restaurant for the 11th year in a row. Sadly, in January, the Vrinat family, who owns Taillevent, lost its head, Jean-Claude, who died at 71. But Parisians said the place is still stellar.

A friend went a couple weeks ago and told me that she thought eating at Taillevent is like being in a dream. You just can't believe you're in a place where everything -- from the greeting at the door to the exquisite tableware to the remarkable food -- is so perfect. The bill, she said, mirrors this perfection (about 500 euros for two with one bottle of wine).

I went twice, both times when the dollar bought more in France than it does now. The first time Anne Willan took me, after I had worked as her deputy at La Varenne cooking school for a long summer. I was young and impressionable and I sat back in my chair after dinner and thought I would never eat another meal in such a grand setting again. Well, I did. It was on a return visit to Taillevent. But that's it.

As one customer wrote in the Zagat guide, "Why wait for heaven, when you can go to Taillevent?"