The restaurant as it is with its white walls and bas-reliefs of cupids and flowers, its green Travertine panels let into the white pilasters, its chandeliers of cut glass, is very handsome. M. Paillard, hair parted in the middle and with a small moustache, irre- proachably attired, wearing a grey frock-coat by day, and a “ smoking ” and black tie in the evening, is generally to be seen superintending all arrange- ments, and there is a maitre d’hotel who speaks excellent English. Amongst the specialties of the house are Pomme Otero and Pomme Georgette (both created, I fancy, by Joseph when he was at Paillard’s), Sole Paillard , Timbale de queues d’Ecrevisses Mantua , Filet Paillard , ‘Paris 1 5 Rouennais Paillard , Terrine de Foie Gras a la gelee au Porto , Perdreau et Caille Paillard. The “Smart” Restaurants “Breakfast chez Henry, dine at the Ritz, and sup at Durand’s,” was the advice once given me by a man who knows his fashionable Paris Henry’s, Place thoroughly; arid it is difficult to better Gaillon it. Henry’s is in the Place Gaillon. There is another Henry’s, an English hotel and bar, in the Rue Volney. Henry’s is on the site of a much older restaurant, the Maison Grosstetes, which had its days of celeb- rity under the Second Empire. Henri Drouet, a former maitre d^ hotel at Paillard’s, restored the for- tunes of the restaurant and partially rebuilt it ; and the present proprietor, M. Marius Durieux, who wears Piccadilly- weeper whiskers, who is his own maitre ddhotel , and who learned his business at Pail- lard’s and at the Gaillon, has further decorated and enlarged the restaurant. The plate-glass windows are curtained with lace, a little shelter of gilt metal and glass is over the door, pillars of white and grey marble with copper capitals stripe the front with soft colour. Go in through the revolving glass door and you find yourself in luxury. Two rooms thrown into one stretch before you, another room is to the left. The restaurant is white in colour, but its chandeliers of cut-glass, its etageres and flowers, its liberal orna- mentation, keep it from being severe. The tables are put as close as possible to each other all round the three rooms, the dames de comptoir are given a tiny desk against the wall, the chasseur hurries back- wards and forwards through a small door with coats flung over his arm and hats balanced on sticks and umbrellas. Henry’s is always full, the proprietor is always in despair because he cannot accommodate all 1 6 The Gourmet’s Guide to Europe his would-be clients, and his patrons who have secured tables beforehand feel that they have shown singular acuteness in doing so. The cuisine of Henry’s is excellent. A number of dishes named after the Rue Port Mahon, which is on one side of the restaurant, are some of the Gaillon specialties, and Consomme Fortunato , Crepes des Gourmets , the Poires Gaillon , and, of course, the sole of the house, are excellent. I know of no restaurant where the hors d’aeuvre are more excellent and varied, where the sweet dishes, creams and open tarts, and fruit are more tempting. At Henry’s there is always on the bill of fare a larger number of plats du jour , ready at any moment, than at any of the other restaurants of the first class.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The restaurant as it is with its white walls and bas-reliefs of cupids and flowers, its green Travertine panels let into the white pilasters, its chandeliers of cut glass, is very handsome. M. Paillard, hair parted in the middle and with a small moustache, irreproachably attired, wearing a grey frock-coat by day, and a “ smoking ” and black tie in the evening, is generally to be seen superintending all arrangements, and there is a maitre d’hotel who speaks excellent English. Amongst the specialties of the house are Pomme Otero and Pomme Georgette (both created, I fancy, by Joseph when he was at Paillard’s), Sole Paillard , Timbale de queues d'Ecrevisses a la Mantua , Filet Paillard , ‘Paris 1 5 Rouennais Paillard , Terrine de Foie Gras a la gelee au Porto , Perdreau et Caille Paillard. The “Smart” Restaurants “Breakfast chez Henry, dine at the Ritz, and sup at Durand’s,” was the advice once given me by a man who knows his fashionable Paris Henry’s, Place thoroughly; arid it is difficult to better Gaillon it. Henry’s is in the Place Gaillon. There is another Henry’s, an English hotel and bar, in the Rue Volney. Henry’s is on the site of a much older restaurant, the Maison Grosstetes, which had its days of celebrity under the Second Empire. Henri Drouet, a former maitre d'hôtel at Paillard’s, restored the fortunes of the restaurant and partially rebuilt it ; and the present proprietor, M. Marius Durieux, who wears Piccadilly- weeper whiskers, who is his own maitre d'hôtel , and who learned his business at Paillard’s and at the Gaillon, has further decorated and enlarged the restaurant. The plate-glass windows are curtained with lace, a little shelter of gilt metal and glass is over the door, pillars of white and grey marble with copper capitals stripe the front with soft colour. Go in through the revolving glass door and you find yourself in luxury. Two rooms thrown into one stretch before you, another room is to the left. The restaurant is white in colour, but its chandeliers of cut-glass, its etageres and flowers, its liberal ornamentation, keep it from being severe. The tables are put as close as possible to each other all round the three rooms, the dames de comptoir are given a tiny desk against the wall, the chasseur hurries backwards and forwards through a small door with coats flung over his arm and hats balanced on sticks and umbrellas. Henry’s is always full, the proprietor is always in despair because he cannot accommodate all 1 6 The Gourmet’s Guide to Europe his would-be clients, and his patrons who have secured tables beforehand feel that they have shown singular acuteness in doing so. The cuisine of Henry’s is excellent. A number of dishes named after the Rue Port Mahon, which is on one side of the restaurant, are some of the Gaillon specialties, and Consomme Fortunato , Crepes des Gourmets , the Poires Gaillon , and, of course, the sole of the house, are excellent. I know of no restaurant where the hors d’aeuvre are more excellent and varied, where the sweet dishes, creams and open tarts, and fruit are more tempting. At Henry’s there is always on the bill of fare a larger number of plats du jour , ready at any moment, than at any of the other restaurants of the first class.

The gourmet's guide to Europe