was chosen to host a "Three Emperors'' dinner.

This event, which has been held at such prestigious restaurants as the Waldorf Astoria in New York, commemorates a dinner held in Paris on June 7, 1867 when Wilhelm I von Hohenzollen, Tsar Alexander II and his son the Tsarevich (later Alexander III) met at the Cafe Anglais in Paris to share a sumptuous dinner.

The menu for the three royals was devised to illustrate the splendour of la grande cuisine francaise , and Louis Roederer champagne was selected to enhance the occasion. Royal Gazette reporter John Burchall sat in on a late 20th century version of this meal, adapted by Romanoff head chef Eric Brunel, with champagne and wines chosen by sommelier Michael Lanzin. This is his report.

*** I had always wondered what separated dining from eating, food from cuisine, and a beverage from a wine.

After one evening at the Romanoff restaurant I can honestly say I am one step closer to the answer.

Last Friday evening I had the pleasure of stepping back in time -- to June 7, 1867, to be exact -- and the Cafe Anglais in Paris.

On that day 176 years ago, three members of the Russian and German royal families met in friendship to share a feast which would make even a finicky eater blush. They consumed duck, lobster and sole, and washed it all down with Louis Roederer champagne.

A feast fit for a king but created for an emperor! Now, some 126 years later, Romanoff restaurant owner Mr. Autun Duzevic and his dedicated team were selected to recreate that memorable dinner.

Once inside, it was not hard to see why this restaurant had been selected. The Menhuin Foundation's string quartet, composed of two violins, one viola and a cello, caressed my eardrums, moving easily between selections from Mozart, Handel's Water Music, and Bach concertos.

Two features of the restaurant's layout particularly impressed me: Croatian artist Generalic's paintings which graced the walls and contrasted well with the burgundy carpets, and the food.

Ten courses of mouth-watering, tastebud-tantalising delights, each matched with a particular champagne or wine.

The first course was Potage Imperatrice, a sweet, green pea soup consomme, which was followed by filets de sole poached in water and covered in a tarragon butter sauce made from tarragon vinegar and sweet onions.

Then came the grilled turbot which was served over finely grated mushrooms tucked in cabbage with a basilic sauce.

With each course a different champagne was served. First was the Brut Premier, an ideal blend of black and white grapes, and matured for over four years. The Brut Premier's rich and fruity bouquet was a welcome addition to the soup.

The next two courses featured chicken and lobster. The chicken was pan fried with a tomato sauce, while the lobster sat on a thin film of jelly made from the stock of the lobster shells.

As a brief respite, a lime sorbet in wine was then served, and then came the main course of pan fried breast of duck in a red wine sauce with eggplant Espagnole and asparagus.

The accompanying champagne, Cristal , created in 1876 at the request of Tsar Alexander II, was an ideal match. A Bombe Glacee brought this elegant feast to a delightful end.

One of the hallmarks of good service is that the diner is unaware of the ebb and flow of the courses. I can say without hesitation that the service, coupled with the extraordinary grandeur of the setting and the creatively presented dishes, made this a dining experience I will never forget.

I cannot say it was easy getting used to eating such small portions, however.

They seemed to disappear as quickly as I inhaled! At the end of the day, I would gladly trade the champagne, music and ten-course feast for one full plate of my wife's peas and rice and chicken!