12, rue de Belzunce
75010 Paris
Phone: 01.48.78.40.03
Metro Station: Gare du Nord (Lines 4 and 5; RER B and D)
Type of cuisine: French
Days & hours of operation: Tues to Fri Noon – 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Sat to Sun 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Credit card: Visa, MC, Amex
L’Ardoise Gourmande is located only a five-minute walk from the Gare du Nord. We arrived at the station by way of the RER B, and were surprised by the great number of people we saw milling about, in and around the station, at that time of day. It was a veritable hive of activity! Travelers to Paris who are unfamiliar with the Gare du Nord should allow extra time for finding their way out of the station, and for finding their way from the station to the restaurant.
The restaurant stands on the corner of rues de Belzunce and Saint-Vincent de Paul. Its handsome slate-grey façade is echoed in the color scheme of the interior. Its slate walls, dark wooden-plank floor, and dark-wood chairs with velour cushions create a subdued atmosphere. White tablecloths on the tables, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a large mirror on the wall, and abundant natural light entering through the restaurant’s tall windows provide elegant counterpoint. The restaurant is a pleasant place in which to dine!
After we were seated, the waiter presented us with an amuse-bouche consisting of sliced raw carrots, radish, and cauliflower in a peppery vinaigrette. We took the occasion to order an apéritif, my partner choosing a white Porto and I an Americano. This drink, which is of Italian origin, is made with Campari—an alcohol infused with bitter herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit. It was quite refreshing!
The restaurant has a two-course, fixed-price menu for lunch and dinner that includes a small carafe of wine and a café for only 20€.
For the starter, I ordered Camembert rôti sur salade de mesclun and was served a round of Camembert cheese sitting on a bed of lettuce. The hot, melted cheese was contained in its bowl-shaped rind, allowing me to spread the runny goo on fresh, sliced baguette without making a mess. Apart from the sharp, tangy cheese, which I found delicious, the salad was disappointing. It was not a mixed salad as denoted by the word mesclun on the menu card, but was made from laitue, an ordinary type of lettuce found in the marketplace.
My partner requested the Salade de magret de canard fumé et framboises, but without the raspberries. She was quite happy when she was served a salad of lettuce and several thinly-sliced portions of duck breast with croutons, walnuts, and balsamic vinegar, all presented in a teardrop-shaped dish.
Filet de dorade grillé (grilled bream) was listed as the plat du jour, and I selected this as a main course. The tender, succulent fish was presented on a bed of sautéed, julienned carrots; flat green beans; and soybean sprouts, all cooked al dente. The bed of vegetables was surrounded by a ring of pesto sauce and fresh dill. A flavorful dish!
For her part, my partner ordered Millefeuille de boudin noir aux deux pommes. She was served an impressive tower of sliced, well-seasoned blood sausage alternating with sliced apple, all held together by a skewer. Three tear-shaped dollops of creamed potatoes garnished the plate, and a slightly sweet, pale yellow sauce made from sautéed onions was an additional accompaniment. She found the copious dish quite satisfactory, and declared that she would be pleased to return to order it again.
To accompany our meal I ordered a quarter-carafe of house white, while my partner ordered the house red. (Both wines were included in the fixed-price menu.) The white was a Sauvignon, which I found flowery and lemony, while my partner said that her Languedoc red was light and fruity, and accompanied her courses well.
Although the fixed-price menu was a two-course meal, I decided to try one of the sixteen different desserts that were listed on the dessert card. I selected Crêpes Suzette and was delighted to receive a plate containing two folded crêpes that had been doused in Grand Marnier. They arrived at the table still flaming. The crêpes were thin and eggy, and drenched in the slightly bitter liqueur. Scrumptious!
We were pleased with the service. One waiter worked the room and another worked behind the bar for most of the time that we were at the restaurant. As couple after couple arrived without a reservation, the waiter handling the dining room thoughtfully considered the reservation list and indicated to the couple whether or not they had adequate time to dine before he would need their table. A third waiter reported for duty about a half-hour before we left, and began to help in the dining room. He served us our dessert, and helped my partner on with her coat at the end of the meal.
The bill for two, including two apéritifs, two fixed-price, two-course menus, and one dessert, came to 60€.
The restaurant filled up quickly with customers, soon after 7:30 p.m. We advise those wishing to dine here to reserve their table!
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.
