Smokefree Restaurants in Paris

A smoking ban in French cafes and restaurants set to begin Jan. 1, 2007, has been modified and delayed for a year.
But there"s hope. Some independent-minded Parisian restaurateurs sick of government dithering or motivated by personal animosity to smoke have already declared their premises off-limits to tobacco. Others offer clients bona fide non-smoking rooms and await the ban.
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Still, for another 13 months, those restaurants--plus fast-food eateries, Starbucks cafes, bakeries and luxurious properties catering to foreigners--will remain just about the only refuges in the country where you can dine sans blue-gray clouds of acrid cigarette smoke.

Wrangling over smoke isn"t new to France: The so-called "Loi Evin," a public-health directive, required cafes and restaurants to provide separate, ventilated non-smoking areas. That was back in 1994. Most cafe and restaurant owners simply refused to comply, so the law was never enforced. No one was fined. Many painted doomsday scenarios of bankruptcy, arguing that their Gaulois-puffing clients would stay home. They also claimed non-smoking rooms and ventilation were too costly and unfeasible because of space limitations. Many Paris eateries are shoebox-sized and in historic, hard-to-remodel buildings.

Furthermore, French libertarians claimed the Evin law infringed two fundamentals of the French Republic: equality and liberty. Vive la Republique and lung cancer!

Responding to pressure from anti-smoking lobbies and the European Union, the French parliament in 2006 agreed the only workable solution was to amend Evin and forbid smoking in all enclosed public places.

Then along came paralyzing student and public sector strikes unrelated to the law, and a counter-attack by the powerful tobacco lobby. With presidential elections looming in March--and fearing a wave of strikes by restaurateurs and tobacconists--the government caved in.

Yet, according to Nicolas Villain, deputy director of France"s National Committee Against Tobacco, polls show 70 to 80 percent of the French are for banning smoke in all enclosed public places.

As of Feb. 1, it will be forbidden to smoke in all enclosed public places except cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels, casinos and discotheques.

But the new, watered-down directive allows these places to have air-conditioned, sealed smoking rooms that occupy no more than 20 percent of the premises.

Only schools and hospitals will be unconditionally, totally 100 percent smoke-free.

The directive now is supposed to go into force for cafes, bars, restaurants and those other places on Jan. 1, 2008--again with the same provision allowing for smoking rooms. Will they ever be built and the new law applied? Who knows?

The really good news is that many of the restaurants that have already banned smoking would be worth a visit for the cooking, ambience and service even if they weren"t smoke free. In other words, they aren"t ghettos for the anti-tobacco crowd. Among them (if calling from the States, add 011-33 and drop the 0):

At Le Temps au temps (13 rue Paul Bert, 11th arrondissement; 01-43-79-63-40), chef-owner Sylvain Endra simply decided that he and his clients would be happier smoke-free. "The restaurant"s too small for me and smoke," he says, explaining his decision. The baker"s-dozen tables crammed side by side must be moved to allow diners in and out. The windows don"t open. With an edgy Bastille-area location and client-base of tobacco-scented architects and artists, complaints have been surprisingly few.

The place is booked solid weeks ahead. That"s also because prices are reasonable (under 30 euros--about $38--per person for three courses without wine), the food outstanding. Menu items change daily. Artfully arranged on white china, they might include Jerusalem artichoke soup with foie gras shavings or succulent lamb chops with dried fruit, pumpkin and spices (the chocolate crumble with chocolate pastry cream and raspberry sorbet is amazing).

Cyril and Marise Lalanne opened La Cerisaie (70 Blvd. Edgar-Quinet, 14th arrondissement; 01-43-20-98-98) in 2004 in a far-flung neighborhood. A year later Cyril won the Jacquart Prize for top under-30 chef, and his bistro is often called Paris" best. It"s totally non-smoking, booked weeks in advance and, with 21 seats in all, feels even smaller than diminutive Le Temps au temps. Here you sup on startling foie gras ravioli in vegetable-and-beef bouillon, pork roasts and chops, or garlicky mackerel stew. "It"s a shame the law has been delayed again," says Marise. "Everyone was ready to adopt it in restaurants." The Lalannes have had no trouble enforcing their ban. "Everyone is sick of stinking of smoke."

At the other end of the price-and-chic spectrum, chef Alain Senderens, a spirited cigar-lover, faced space and ventilation problems at his celebrated Lucas Carton, recently renamed Alain Senderens (9 place de la Madeleine, 8th arrondissement; 01-42-65-22-90). A pioneer of nouvelle cuisine, Senderens in 2005 told Michelin he no longer wanted three stars. After remodeling, changing his menu and lowering his prices (from about $400 to $100 a head), he lost a star. He also banned smoking. "He"s not anti-tobacco," said his spokeswoman, Margot Gebil. "It was a practical choice to anticipate the new law." Senderens" food--demi-smoked salmon with Thai spices, sole tempura, foie gras with black figs--still draws crowds and applause, and no one seems to miss the smoke, not even the chef.

Another former three-star mega-chef, Joel Robuchon, retired from the Michelin scene at the height of his career, sold his restaurant, then returned several years later, opening two instantly popular spots in Paris, both strictly non-smoking. The hipper of the two is L"Atelier de Joel Robuchon (5 rue de Montalembert 7th arrondissement; 01-42-22-56-56). A high-end, American-style diner with red-and-black counters and stools but no tables (and no reservations), the fare ranges from platters of ham to salads, caviar and elaborate pasta, meat and fish. At the mainstream, sit-down La Table de Joel Robuchon (16 Ave. Bugeaud, 16th arrondissement; 01-56-28-16-16) specialties include an outstanding lievre a la royale (slow-cooked wild hare filled with foie gras). Spokesmen for the globetrotting chef explain that he"s a purist and militant non-smoker. He dreamed of serving his food in smoke-free settings, and his choice had nothing to do with government regulations.

A pair of very different, extremely successful restaurants illustrate how complying with the Loi Evin by offering non-smoking rooms has produced benefits. A 2005 remodel included Gaulois-free rooms at stylish Chez les Anges (54 Blvd. de La Tour-Maubourg, 7th arrondissement; 01-47-05-89-86). The menu follows market offerings. In fall expect velvety pumpkin soup, boned quail with a soft-boiled egg on fresh spinach, or perfect steaks and grilled fresh fish.

"We respect our clients," says owner Catherine Lacipiere, a former cigarette addict who can"t abide tobacco now. Her husband, Jacques, still smokes but also prefers smoke-free environments. "We did it for ourselves and our clients. People who appreciate food often don"t like smoky settings." The Lacipieres will more than welcome the pending total ban, which, they feel, is democratic.

Ditto Roman Masson, manager of Les Editeurs (4 Carrefour de l"Odeon, 6th arrondissement; 01-43-26-67-76), a hip, packed Left Bank literary cafe-cum-restaurant. Masson says even smokers ask for tables in the upstairs non-smoking section. "We"re responding to demand. We"d love to be totally smokeless."

Like the Lacipieres and many others questioned, Masson can"t wait for the government to enforce the law. "When every place is non-smoking there won"t be a choice, people will get used to it, and everyone will be happier." Meanwhile, upstairs you can enjoy what might be Paris" best club sandwiches and hamburgers, plus luscious lamb shanks, crisp arugula salad with parmesan shavings, and bittersweet chocolate cake, without feeling like an ashtray.

David Downie is the author of "Paris, Paris: Journey Into the City of Light" (www.parisparisthebook.com).

MORE SMOKE-FREE ESCAPES

Here are some other Paris bars/restaurants where you can breathe (with comments from proprietors/staffers; if calling from the States, add 011-33 and drop the 0):

- L"Atelier Maitre Albert (1 rue Maitre-Albert, 5th arrondissement; 01-56-81-30-01). One large non-smoking room. Entire restaurant smoke free in January. "We welcome the inevitable."

- La Cremerie (formerly Caves Miard; 9 rue des Quatre-Vents, 5th arrondissement; 01-43-54-99-30). Smokeless wine bar-bistro in 1880s decor. "We can"t stand smoke in our wine."

- Fish (69 rue de Seine, 5th arrondissement; 01-43-54-34-69). Fish shop turned wine bar-restaurant. Total ban. "Smoked fish, OK; smoked clients, non, merci."

- Chez Germaine (30 rue Pierre-Leroux, 7th arrondissement; 01-42-73-28-34). Neighborhood bistro "too tiny for smoke."

- Christophe (8 rue Descartes, 5th arrondissement; 01-43-26-72-49). Serious, stylish, small and militantly non-smoking. "Please don"t smoke; it overwhelms my cooking."

- L"Epi Dupin (11 rue Dupin, 6th arrondissement; 01-42-22-64-56). "Does freedom mean freedom to poison others? My turnover has gone up since becoming non-smoking."

--D.D.

The smoke lifts--a little--on Paris" dining scene - Chicago Tribune

November 26, 2006

By David Downie
Special to the Tribune

Comments

[Cigarette Free]

Smoking is bad for health, money and time, it should be avoided at all cost. Perseverence is the key. So try the best to repel the urge of smoking again....ever.

[ProDryers]

Putting electrical hand dryers in your public restrooms is a great way to elevate customers' opinions of quality. There have been many studies done on hand dryers vs. paper towels. Todays hand dryers will eliminate the need for paper towels and save you big money. Hand dryers pay for themselves in a very short time. www.prodryers.com sells a dryer that will dry hands in 10 seconds, which is faster than the average paper towel takes. The benefits of hand dryers are clear, plus they save the environment by qualifying for LEED credits and being GreenSpec listed. Restaurant owners will love the new eXtremeAir hand dryers.

[Paris Hotels]

I really appreciate this initiative. I am not a smoker and enjoy my meals better when they're smoke-free. Last year I got a great deal through LMT and we also read about Le Temps au temps, which we later visited. It's probably the best restaurant I've been to.

[invertir forex]

Great to see a collection of blog posts that includes thoughtful and perceptive commentary. Keep up the great work!!!

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I thing that with that decision they are not respecting persons, who are affected by the smoke, and that is not fair.