It's quite a small restaurant. We got a nice round table by the door. They do have a few tables outside surrounded with a wall of tall green hedges giving it a very private feel, but allowing you to dine al fresco.
All the wait-staff wore "Chef-coats" which made it a little unique. A chalk board came out with the menu and specials of the evening. As we sat they immediately gave us some thinly sliced saucisson sec. Shortly thereafter our waiter came back to get our order for aperos. Prices are very reasonable, the formule was 32€ and you got an entree, plat, and dessert.
Pickled Salmon entrées à la façon du hareng, was served in a little glass jar reminiscent of prepared pickled herring, in fact it was pickled. Although, the jar made it a little bit difficult to eat, none-the-less it was delicious.
Duck foie gras with warm bread , was surprisingly light compared to most foi gras. It was delicious and was accompanied by a crispy exterior toasted bread, but the inside was warm and soft to allow some of the fat of the foie gras to melt like butter. Yum!
Terrine of beef shoulder and foie gras. The terrine was delicious. It consisted of shoulder of beef layered with foie gras, now how bad can that be?
They seem to have a good selection of wines, our waiter seemed very knowledgeable and as he gave his recommendation he actually gave the prices as well, which is unusual. What impressed us the most was he took the time to explain each wine that we were interested in, without being rushed. In the end we shared a bottle of Medoc (34€) , it was an excellent choice.
Before our entrees were served, we were all given warm plates, nice touch. What was really surprising, rather than "plating" our dishes, our plats came out family style. In essence, if we wanted to, we could have all shared each others dishes, which in my case I did.
Plats:
Braised pork cheeks, "joue de couchon" was braised with broccoli, carrots, onions. It was quite simple, and although it was good, it really lacked any sophistication and was quite bland. Thank God for "sel de guérande".
Filet of Bar, "mullet", now I did mention simple is good. Well this dish was not only simple, but well executed and was delicious. Very simply pan friend with fleur de sel and the skin was nice and crispy whereas the flesh was tender. It wasn't masked with any sauces or lots of seasoning, so the flavor of the bar came out. It sat atop of a bed of broccoli, zucchini and carrots. It was our favorite dish of the evening.
Grilled duck breast, "magret de canard" served rosé (pink), and again, although the dish was very simple, it was packed with lots of natural flavor and accompanied with great mash potatoes.
For dessert: Rhubarb compote. It was excellent. Not too sweet, but had a nice tartness, and covered with toasted gateau.
Madeleine with citrus cream, served in a little jelly jar was nice, very simple and delicious.
Chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, basically its a very rich chocolate cake with rich chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. Now how can you go wrong with this dish.
I had the cheese course, "brie de meaux", as soon as it arrived, slightly warmed, you could smell it. It's definitely not for those who do not like strong smells, and a strong taste. However, I loved it.
Summary: It was a Thursday evening, every table in the house was taken. We were the only Americans there, and it appeared that a lot of the patrons were regulars, since everyone seemed to know each other. All the dishes were simply prepared. We enjoyed every course, but I think I'll stay away from joue de couchon next time. What impressed us most was the service, their attentiveness, but not in your face, and not ignored. It was like "French comfort food" served by our neighbors.
Although it's quite a distance for those who live on the Right Bank, it's well worth the trip. You will be rewarded with great hospitality, excellent meals, and just an overall nice experience.
It is definitely more of a neighborhood restaurant and will certainly be our new "neighborhood hangout." read more
