We hit the mark on this one, although we can't claim credit because the Parisienne who is a friend of our home exchange partner chose this spot when we told her we wanted to dine French for lunch before walking around the Marais. I love to dine al fresco in warm weather, but I hate sitting next to a road where cars are speeding by and ruining the ambience. La Place Royale is just across the street from an entrance to Place de Vosges, an uber exclusive square lined with town homes lived in by the likes of Dominique Strauss Kahn and his wife. Believe me there were not too many cars or motorcycles whizzing by at this venue. The restaurant is through an old arched gate and on the other side are vaulted ceilings with outdoor seating underneath giving the feeling of dining at an old university or church.
The prix fixe menu for lunch here is 39 euros each with a bottle of wine for two or 31 euros without. Of course we had the wine so this meant our lunch for my partner and me was about $60 each, so yes one has to pay to have a quality experience, but that's true anywhere. The wine was really not necessary because lunch came with a kir right off the bat which should have sufficed but as happens when one is on vacation, one just gives in to the moment and indulges as one pleases. The lunch also included the standard three courses (starter, main course, dessert) plus coffee.
The food here was excellent for all three courses, especially the desserts, which I'll describe first. My partner had molten chocolate cake that was truly sublime. It was not too sweet but the chocolate was dark and rich and made you want to eat it slowly. He was actually able to stop eating it and left some on his plate, which I was quite impressed with. Marie Helene explained that dark chocolate in France is way more chocolate than sugar and therefore richer when compared to dark chocolate in the U.S. which certainly accounted for the intense flavor. I guess that means we'll have to pay a visit to Hevin to verify for ourselves.
My dessert was two madeleines sliced like profiteroles, filled with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and then topped with a delicious chocolate sauce. While his dish was a tour de force of pure chocolate, mine was a delicious and classic combination of cake, ice cream, and chocolate. Who doesn't like ice cream on a warm afternoon? I practically had to restrain myself from licking the plate!
Brian is wisely ordering fish whenever possible and his first course of smoked salmon atop a bed of arugula and his main course of grilled halibut (?) atop a bed of haricots verts both looked excellent. My first course salad of cold lentils with thin slices of duck breast and red onion and my main course of grilled shrimp skewers atop a sauteed vegetable melange were also excellent. The shrimp were not overcooked and the veggie portion was substantial, for France. And the bread was not at all rubbery and clearly was sliced from a baguette just before being brought to the table.
I was tempted to give this place 5 stars but on reflection, I doubt I'll actually be having a true five star experience here in Paris as we're just not likely to spend that kind of money. But Place de Royale really was an excellent meal in a beautiful setting and well worth a visit on a warm beautiful day. read more