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From the first of July you’ll see a reduction in the TVA on your restaurant bills from 19.6% to 5.5%. So this means your bill will be a lot cheaper, right?

In fact, at many, perhaps most restaurants, the cost of your meal is likely to remain much the same. Why is this, you ask, if there’s been a big reduction in TVA? Well, the answer is not a simple one. The restaurant industry has long been clamouring for a reduction in TVA. They claimed that jobs were being lost because of rising prices, and that some restaurants were having to close down.

The government has finally conceded the reduction, labelled as part of their anti-recession fiscal package. In return they have extracted a commitment from the heads of 9 major restaurant chains that they would reduce prices on a minimum of 7 items on their cartes by 11.8%. These large chains, Buffalo Grill, Courtepaille and others, have already responded by each cutting prices of 40 or so items on their cartes, so you will certainly be able to eat more cheaply at most motorway stops and out-of-town shopping centres. However other restaurants are not obliged to follow this example.

So although you will probably notice that the price of coffee or a soft drink, and possibly even one or two main course choices have been reduced a little in your local brasserie, the overall effect on your average lunch bill is not likely to be very significant.

On the plus side, the increased profits the restaurateurs hope to make will be welcome in an industry where 1300 restaurants and cafes were forced to close in the first quarter of 2009.

The Government claims that the reduction in TVA will eventually bring about an improvement in average wages in the industry and the creation of 40,000 jobs over 2 years. Restaurant owners are adopting more of a “wait-and-see” stance before giving wholehearted support to this forecast

Here at Frogsiders, we just hope there’ll be a bit more change from a 20 euro note at lunchtime.

TVA Reduction - Will My Lunch Cost Less?

Ever Wanted To Be A Restaurant Critic?

There must be another Egon Ronay or Michael Winner out there just waiting to be discovered! So we’re going to give you your chance. Send us your restaurant reviews, and if our editorial board considers your review well-written, properly constructed, knowledgeable and fair, we’ll publish it.

Just remember the following rules:

You must not let the restaurant know in advance that you are writing a review.
You must not try to negotiate any discount or complimentary food or drink items from any restaurant in return for a review, even if your review has already been published.
You must review an actual recent meal at the restaurant.
Try to take one or two photographs inside or outside the restaurant to illustrate your review. (Try the Michael Winner method of asking the waiter to take the picture with your camera).
Try to find out the name of the owner/manager and of the person in charge of the kitchen.
Include an indication of prices in your review.
Send your entries in to restaurants@frogsiders.com

Best of Luck! We’ll give a special award or the best restaurant review each year.

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Top restaurant’s wine cellar to go under the hammer

No doubt many Frogsiders readers will be excited by the news that one of Paris’ oldest and most celebrated restaurants is auctioning off part of its wine cellar.

The Michelin-starred Tour d'Argent is to sell 18,000 bottles of wine and spirits in an auction which is expected to raise about a million euros. These are not the sort of wines you can buy in your local supermarket nor even at your local wine merchant. These wines were personally selected by the Tour d’Argent’s famous owners and sommeliers, bought direct from the producers, and kept in the cellar until they were judged ready to be put onto the exclusive restaurant's wine list.

The Tour d’Argent has been a serious wine collector for many years - it was founded in 1582. So famous was its food that by 1600 duels were fought for the privilege of a table reservation. Cardinal Richelieu entertained there during the reign of Louis XIV. In the 1890’s proprietor Frederic Delair created its most famous dish, the Pressed Duck for which it is still famous today. During the 20th Century under the ownership of Claude Terrail, who founded the Hotel George V and other prestige establishments, it lost none of its cachet. Kings, emperors, presidents and film stars came to dine every night. The famous table in the big window overlooking the Seine and Notre Dame cathedral has in fact featured in many films.

The bottles which are to be auctioned are valued from around 100€ to several thousand euros each. They include prestigious clarets, including Château Cheval Blanc 1928, Châteaux Margaux and Lafite Rothschild from 1970; burgundies, including Puligny Montrachet Referts Sauzet from 1992 and a Vosne Romanée Jayer from 1998. Some of the vintages go back not years but centuries.

Four bottles of 1875 Armagnac had been forgotten and were found covered in a black fungus that looked like matted cat fur. They are expected to sell at between 400 and 500 euros each. The oldest bottle dates from before the French revolution. Another brandy, a fine champagne Clos du Griffier, is 321-years-old.

The money raised from its sale will be donated to charity. The Tour will still have plenty left to offer customers – there are currently 450,000 bottles in its cellar. The auction, organised by auctioneers Piasa , will be in Paris on 7-8 December.

David Ridgway, chief sommelier of the Tour d'Argent restaurant, inspecting one of his many bottles

The table in the Tour d’Argent’s bay window, overlooking the Seine and Notre Dame, has been featured in many films