The first gathering of TSLL members in Paris!

What a special and wonderful occasion (oh! and délicieux aussi!) it was, and I’d like to share with you all about it.

Meeting near the heart of Paris, just about two blocks from the Seine on the right bank you will find Alain Ducasse’s Benoit. A restaurant with one Michelin star, sitting on the corner of a very walkable part of the 4th arrondissement, the head chef is Kelly Jolivet, who became the chef before she turned 30, a goal she was determined to achieve, and she did in January 2022.

The menu is quintessential French bistro fare (have a look at the menu here), and with only one seating each evening for dinner, make your reservation and savor the entire night making your way through the courses and enjoying your company.

Enjoy our company we did! Meeting toward the tail-end of my trip in Paris on March 18th, the staff had reserved an ideally situated 5-top table, located in the main dining area, but against the wall, so we were not interrupted, yet were surrounded by two-tops enjoying their dinner. We rendezvoused at 7:30 (19h 30) and just prior to midnight, we headed out the door back into the city of Light to find our way home (a photo of my walk across the Pont Neuf bridge on my way back to my apartment is shown at the end of this post – a gorgeous night).

I am so tickled to finally have been able to meet each one of the women who joined round the table: Dani, Berni, Mariana and Grace. It was wonderful to meet each of you, to get to know you even better, and for you to meet each other. While of course, I will keep our table conversation’s content private to those at the table, it was easy to see why the time flew as we had so much to share, discover and provide encouragement as each woman shared various hopes, as well as discoveries, and we then got to know what each was passionate about, curious about, but also what they had done, learned and how they each had triumphed.

The waitstaff let us enjoy our courses at our own pace, and what a gift, but also, that is France – food is meant to gather and not to be rushed, and so I knew we were in good hands, and we were. You will see a few photos below – the entrée (first course) for me which was a pâte en croute, and then all of our desserts as well. The other courses, well, we enjoyed them, and I forgot to take photos!

I want to thank each of the Members who made the journey across the pond and the channel, made the time, took the train and rushed back to Paris as was the case for one member who was in the middle of her workweek, but made a special effort to join us, and I am so glad she did, because you each were the reason this will forever be a memory I cherish. The chemistry at the table amongst you all is hard to put into words, and I am grateful to have been present. I hope you too had a wonderful time, and thank you for making this inaugural Paris TSLL gathering the special occasion that it was.

~Round the table from lower left-hand moving clockwise: Dani joined us from Quebec, Berni from Britain, Mariana who lives in Paris and Grace who is also from Britain, then me in the lower right-hand corner.~

Upon walking back home to La Place Dauphine which is just over the bridge that I am about to walk over with a view of Pont Neuf (seen below), this sight greeted me. *sigh*. The second photo was taken after crossing the bridge also looking at Pont Neuf with La Samaritaine in the background on the corner of the bridge.

Paris you are stunning at night. Bonne nuit et jusqu’à la prochaine fois.

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