Sorry for your miserable experience at L'Agrume, but if it's any consolation–and I rather doubt it is–this linguistic tug of war is something that I think all French-speaking foreigners face on a constant basis in Paris, and frankly, it drives me mad.

Why on earth do the French spend billions of Euros promoting the French language every year if they're often so reflexively unwelcoming to people who've made the effort to learn it And I entirely agree that it is presumptuous, patronising and just plain rude for any native French speaker to rough ride the better-than-average French of an anglophone by replying to good French in English. I had a similar experience in the pharmacy most convenient to where I live, and after politely trying to explain to the owner why it was rude to answer me in English when I'd spoken in French several times, I just gave up. The cherry on the cake His high-dudgeon–"We're damned if we don't (speak English), and we're damned if we do." I fear that this self-pitying but supercilious attitude says a great deal about how the French see themselves in today's world. Best, Alec

The delicious duck at Le Bouchon et L’Assiette was ordered a la carte. The duckling breast at L’Agrume, where I ate four days later, came as part of a set tasting menu. Happily, I like duck. What is interesting, though, is the current popularity of beets in Paris. Regards, Alec