14, rue Mondétour
75001 Paris
Phone: 01.42.36.00.18
Metro Station: Les Halles (Line 4) or Etienne Marcel (Line 4)
Type of cuisine: French
Days & hours of operation: Mon to Sat Noon – 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Open for cocktails from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Credit card: Visa, MC
If we had judged this restaurant from the rather ordinary appearance of its façade, we might never have entered. However, we had already investigated the eatery by consulting restaurant guide books, so we felt confident that it would be a great place to dine.
The restaurant is spacious, with time-worn ambiance and Art Nouveau trim. Lots of lit candles decorated the tabletops and reggae played over the speaker system. (Later, the music would change to other styles, including a song by the Beatles.) The random polygonal shapes and colors of the tile floor added an extra touch of eclecticism.
While we consulted the menu, we were served an amuse-bouche consisting of tapenade d’olives (a spread made of crushed olives) and warm bread rolls. We also ordered, as an aperitif, the house cocktail named “Adam and Eve,” containing Cuban rum, manzana, white vermouth, and Angostura. As the waiter had promised, the drink had a refreshing sweet and sour taste, with a hint of bitterness imparted by the Angostura.
The restaurant has a three-course fixed-price menu (in French and English) for 29.50€. Each course lists a wide variety of dishes from which to choose.
For the starter, I ordered the Millefeuille d’aubergine, tomate au basillic, mozzarella di Bufala et jambon de Parme. I received a dish containing a mound of alternating layers of roasted eggplant, sliced tomato flavored with basil, and melted mozzarella (made from the milk of domesticated water buffalo), all wrapped lovingly in paper-thin slices of dry-cured ham from Parma. A squiggle of balsamic vinegar embellished the plate. The ham was deliciously salty and the millefeuille appetizing.
My partner opted for the Tulipe de Trévise au cœur d’artichaut et crottin de chèvre rôti au pavot, tapenade rouge. She was presented a single leaf of brick pastry folded to look like a tulip. It cradled a slice of artichoke heart and a small round of goat cheese that had been roasted with poppy seeds. She declared this visually appealing dish flavorful and satisfying!
The second course was equally tempting. I decided upon the Queue de lotte grillée à la plancha, sauce Sweet chilly citronnée, et risotto au parmesan, and was served a portion of grilled monkfish tail covered with a spicy-sweet, lemon-flavored chili sauce. A disk-shaped mound of creamy risotto topped with thin slices of Parmesan accompanied the dish. The monkfish was tender and flaky, and the savory risotto was a harmonious match.
My partner’s choice, the Souris d’agneau cuit en douceur, fruits secs et légumes de saison façon tajine, was a North-African inspired dish. The waiter presented a shallow bowl containing a braised knuckle of lamb atop a bed of sliced leek, zucchini, potato, and turnip, all resting in dark brown gravy. The full-flavored dish had been seasoned with dried prunes and apricots, and the slow-cooked meat was so tender that it fell off the bone.
To accompany our dishes, I ordered a Crozes-Hermitage 2008, a white wine from the Rhône region that had a pleasant minerally taste. My partner opted for the Fixin 2006, a red wine from the Burgundy region that she found surprisingly full-bodied.
For dessert, my Mi-cuit au chocolat servi dans une cocotte was served in a small crock pot. The center of the “half-baked” chocolate cake tasted delightfully like rich chocolate pudding. A scoop of ice cream flavored with vanilla from Madagascar was served alongside. My partner found her Palet de sablé à la crème caramel demi sel et noisettes grillées, coulis de fruits exotiques equally inviting. The thin disk of shortbread was topped with salted caramel cream, roasted hazelnuts, and a thin rectangle of chocolate. A kumquat and a sprig of red currents decorated the dish.
The waiter gave helpful suggestions when we asked for his opinion about the best wines to accompany our courses. We were delighted with the generous portions of wine by the glass that he served. After the dinner, a second waiter offered a glass of chilled manzana as an after-dinner drink. A nice finish to a delicious meal!
The bill for two, including two house cocktails, three glasses of wine, and two fixed-price menus, came to 92€.
Tom Reeves has been a confirmed Francophile since he first traveled to France in 1975. A native of northern California, he moved to France permanently in 1992. Reeves’ love of French language and culture inspired him to create Discover Paris!, a travel planning service that caters to Americans interested in cultural travel to Paris. His book, Paris Insights – An Anthology, has been called “the kind of insider’s view of the French capital…that first or even second time visitors pine for.” He publishes a monthly newsletter entitled Paris Insights about history, culture, and contemporary life in the City of Light, and posts daily information about the French capital on Facebook.
We left the restaurant fully satisfied, having learned not to be too quick to judge a restaurant by its façade!
