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Metro Manila / Dining / French Cuisine / Restaurants

Chateau 1771 (76)
1771 Adriatico St, Tel 50-85-06, 58-54-89
Mon-Wed 11:00-1:30, Thu-Sat 11:00-3:00
Sun 17:00-24:00; elegant bistro and res-taurant with a beautiful garden; very nice old world ambience; excellent Ceasar's Salad; several unusual dishes such as 'Tripe a la mode de Caen' (veal tripe stewed in apple cider) or 'Crevettes geantes aux lait de coco et safran' (king prawns poached in coconut milk and flavored with saffron); delicious desserts and after dinner snacks such as 'Churros con Chocolate' (deep fried English style biscuits dipped at the table by the guest himself in melted chocolate), peach crepe and Coup Danemark (vanilla ice cream with orange syrup); amazing selection of coffee - from 'Macadamia' (a brew of coffee and ground Macadamia nuts, with an exotic sweet-bitter taste) to 'Ristretto' (a kind of espresso, but more concentrated and slightly more bitter); for a French res-taurant reasonable prices

VIP Grille Room (91)
Silahis Hotel, Roxas Blvd, Tel 57-38-11
19:30-2:00; closed on Sun
at the Playboy Club on the Silahis premises; service by "bunnies"; exclusive menu with many dishes including such su-perb items as truffles, caviar, duck liver, lime cream and champagne butter sauce; aside from French dishes: US steaks and New Zealand lamb chops

La Fayette (38)
1322 Del Pilar St, Ermita, Tel 59-73-58
12:00-14:00, 18:00-24:00; the French restaurant of the Guernica's chain (and this information alone already is a seal of excellence); elegant little restaurant with a very pleasant and French atmosphere; the author loves their souffles or shrimp in cheese sauce as a first course and their Coq au Vin for a main dish; adequate selection of French wines

L'Eau Vive en Asie
1499 Paz Mendoza Guanzon, Paco
Tel 57-56-16; 12:00-14:00, 19:00-22:00
A unique French restaurant, managed by French nuns; excellent cuisine and moderate prices; among the regular guests is his excellency, Jaime Cardinal Sin

MAKATI

La Coupole (145)
Greenbelt Mall, Legaspi St
Tel 87-34-56, 817-83-47; daily 11:00-1:00
Seating capacity 140; the name 'La Coupole', in English 'dome', refers to a decorative structure in the center of the restaurant which has a beautiful temple-like ppearance; elegant ambience but very affordable prices; piped-in French music; air-conditioned even during power failures; daily specials for lunch at only 120 pesos; food is prepared by two French cooks; menu presented both in French and English; among the specialties are 'Terrine de Poissons' (fish pate), 'Terrine de Legumes' (vegetable pate), 'Soupe de Poissons' (fish soup with garlic sauce), 'Emince aux Poivres' (sliced beef in black and white pepper sauce), 'Volaille Chasseur' (chicken, vegetables, mushrooms in sauce); fresh baked French bread; for des-serts and meriendas mouth-watering cakes and pastries; drinks at the bar include aperitifs such as Pernod as well as champagne; red and white wines; sufficient parking space, easily accessible by public transportation

Truffles (142)
Delton Arcade, Greenbelt Park, Legaspi St
Tel 815-27-77; 11:00-23:00; closed on Sun
They offer a feast for the taste senses - with a number of dishes containing one of the gourmets' most prized delicacies: truffles; but dishes with truffles are not the only tempting creations of chef Billy King; tables set with the finest china ware, crystal, and cutlery, upon raven-black linen; cozy inte-riors done in elegant ebony and burgundy; complete wine list, semi-formal attire adequate; major credit cards honored

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