15, place Lachambeaudie
75012 Paris
Phone: 01.40.02.02.12
Metro Station: Dugommier (Line 6), Cour Saint-Emilion (Line 14)
Type of cuisine: French
Days & hours of operation: Mon to Fri Noon – 2:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. - 10:30 p.m
Credit card: Visa, MC, Amex
Travelers to Paris will find that this restaurant lies truly off the beaten path, but for those who make the effort to get there, they will be well rewarded with courteous service and fine cuisine. To get to the restaurant, we took bus 24 (direction Ecole Vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort) from the Gare d’Austerlitz and got off at the stop called Dijon-Lachambeaudie. The restaurant lies diagonally across the square from the bus stop, on the ground floor of a modern office building behind the church Notre-Dame de la Nativité de Bercy.
The restaurant is spacious, with a retro look. Textured fabric covers the plum, peach, and reddish-orange colored chairs and bench seats against the wall. A huge flower vase stands in the middle of the room, the walls display pegboard paneling, and partially closed mini blinds hang from large windows. The lighting is subdued, and the waiters speak in hushed tones.
We began by ordering the restaurant’s house cocktail, an unusual combination of blackberry liqueur, sparkling wine, and gentian, a liqueur extracted from the root of the plant of the same name. We found the beverage to be slightly sweet and refreshing, with the flavor of the blackberry in predominance.
The restaurant offers a four-course fixed-price menu for 48€, including wine. This seemed to us to be opportunity to indulge!
We were served a mise en bouche, consisting of a small glass of crème d’aspèrge and a tiny serving platter containing fresh prawns and pickled red bell pepper. The asparagus soup was topped with cream, while the remainder of the portion was slightly thinner. At first it tasted slightly sour, but this dissipated and I found it to be appetizing.
I ordered Escargots “petit gris,” fondue de chou-rave et galanga for the starter. I was served a large glass containing a warm broth in which floated snails, diced kohlrabi and galangal root, and sliced almonds. This was the first time that I tried snails that had not been broiled in garlic butter, but were, instead, served in a broth. It was a surprisingly tasty dish with contrasting textures, as the root plants and almonds provided firmness, while the snails had a texture that resembled squid.
My partner requested Asperges vertes, crumble de chorizo, bouillon de foie gras and received six perfectly cooked asparagus stalks cut in half and arranged on a plate side by side with a topping of crumbled chorizo. Next to the presentation was a tall glass of foie gras bouillon in which stood another asparagus stalk. She declared the dish sublime!
For the main course, I opted for Filet de dorade, topinambours et coriandre, “rouleau d’hiver” de poireaux aux crevettes. A stack of three slices of pan-fried bream resting on a bed of sliced, sautéed Jerusalem artichokes sat beside a dollop of finely minced mushrooms cooked in squid ink. A “winter roll” of chopped prawns wrapped in leek rounded out the dish. Each element had its own distinct character, and I was particularly intrigued by the minced mushrooms in squid ink. The mushroom tasted faintly fishy,and strongly resembled caviar. I wondered what it might be, until the waitress revealed the ingredients.
My partner ordered Veau en deux cuissons, braise et rôti, panais et carottes des sables. This consisted of a slice of braised veal and two slices of roasted veal, all topped with a sauce containing well-cooked shallots. The braised veal was more dense and darkly colored than the roasted portions, but both were tender and flavorful. A paintbrush streak of beet juice garnished the plate, creating a “frontier” over which neither veal preparation dared to cross. A small cup of puréed parsnips accompanied this dish – they were incredibly sweet and provided balance for the shallots in the sauce.
During the meal we had white and red wines selected by the house, per the conditions of the menu. They were both Gerard Bertrand 6ème Sens from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The white had a clear golden color, slightly sharp and slightly fruity flavor, and good body. The red was supple and lively, with distinctive berry notes.
Warmed country bread was served by the slice on individual bread plates.
The third course was a serving of Chèvre crémeux aux fruits secs. This was a generous portion of sweet, moist, creamy-to-crumbly goat cheese served with raisins and slices of warm raisin bread. A small mixed salad accompanied the cheese.
Finally came the dessert! I ordered the Parfait glacé pistache avec coulis de cerise, and got two servings of pistachio ice cream, each topped with a thin layer of white chocolate containing crushed pistachios. Served alongside was a small glass of cherry coulis. This unusual dessert was exquisite!
My partner opted for Le chocolate: mousse au guanaja, sorbet cacao et chocolate tiède à la cardamom. She is not that fond of chocolate, so this order was uncommon for her. Yet she quite enjoyed the cocoa sorbet, finishing it first and with a flourish. She then moved on to the mouse, which she also pronounced delicious. The hot chocolate was slightly disappointing in that it was not the rich, thick treat that she was hoping for. But it was beautifully perfumed with cardamom, and two small pods lay beside the glass as witnesses to the flavor and aroma that this spice provided.
The treats did not end with the dessert! I ordered an after-dinner espresso and we were presented a slate containing a small glass of black currant mousse and a slice of chocolate cake for each of us. Splendid!
The bill for two, including two aperitif cocktails, the four-course menu with wine, and a single espresso came to 119.00€.
During the meal the waiters and waitress answered our questions about the ingredients of the food and wine and were courteous in every way. Based on our experience there, we highly recommend this restaurant.
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.
