Our dinner at Les Magnolias was an exceptional experience…read more Rather than doing the tasting menu, we opted for the standard dinner, in which every element (and there were a lot) was a statement unto itself. The amuse-bouche of radish on toast was a perfect opening for my own meal experience which had a heavy emphasis on micro greens and vegetables. There was a small flute of pea and lettuce cold soup. The staple 'chemistry-kit'-like sweet potato/white potato was something more than a starchy interlude, but a wonderful smoothie-like beverage that I could eat/drink daily. But the standout of my dinner was the foie gras, which was obviously phenomenal. First, because it's foie gras. Second, because great foie gras dishes can only be found in France. Third, because the presentation was so beautiful, it might have taken twenty minutes to assemble...it was 3 cubes, wrapped in poppy seeds, in the middle of a matrix of micro vegetables of every color in the spectrum, with a mustard-poppy sauce. A sublime dish of 1001 flavors supporting the perfect counterpoint of toasty seeds with creamy fat. I chose the lamb as a main course and it was paired with a single carrot. While perfect, I could have used a second piece, since in a dinner situation like this, my gluttony overcomes all reason. A dijon stuffed cookie followed, which was so simple and brilliant, my understanding of mustard was upended. The front end was very spicy, but the seeds, upon bursting were purely sweet and were a good complement for my current glass of wine, which was relatively dry. Four pieces of cheese followed and then dessert was the chocolate (pictured). What set this multipart chocolate celebration apart was the basil and vanilla gelato (under the middle cookie), which completed the garden-centric theme of the meal as a whole. I've been to a number of Michelin one-stars in the U.S., but nothing compared to the understated perfection of this meal. My next trip to Fontenay Sous Bois will absolutely include another visit.

Pardon my french mais "putain c'est bon!" This french…read morebistro does sud-ouest cuisine and it's hard to chose from the menu as I wanted to try everything. We started with an apertif maison made with orange liqueur and champagne called a pousse-rapiere. Then fried garlic for me, a gigantic os a la moelle for my husband and hard boiled eggs with homemade smoked mayo and scrambled eggs with mushrooms for my friends. Plates are very generous but it so good you'll always be hungry for more. For the mains: chorizo, duck breast (cooked to perfection), tripes with potatoes (roasted with garlic, fries cooked in pig fat or mashed with butter and parsley). After all of this I recommend the sorbet with armagnac liqueur. Light and very refreshing. To finish try La Vipere. This is a homemade liqueur with a snake in it. Service really friendly with a at home feeling.

If I could it a half star, my overall rating would be a 2.5 stars…read more It was our monthly outing with our good friend to explore a new restaurant that's only been open for a week. The original "La Tute" restaurant was in the 2eme arrondissement, but closed and moved to the 9eme arrondissement as a result of a dispute with the landlord. From the outside it looks like it was newly painted with its bright red lipstick paint and great location. It is across the street from the "Drouot", a public auction house. This is a "Pyrenees" style restaurant. As you enter there are two seatings available, up front closer to the windows with much more natural lighting and much more open, or in the back which was OK, but not as open, so a little claustrophobic. There are also tables downstairs, which were not in use. On reflection, I wish we had sat up front. Before entering there is a large blackboard in front listing what's available. We then got another two smaller blackboards with the handwritten menu, one for the entrées and another our plat. Entrées: Our friend got the "calamars à l'encre" (squid cooked in its ink). It was thick and rich. I tasted it and it immediately brought me back to my childhood. We have a Filipino dish called "adobong pusit", it actually tasted very similar to that, it even had a little vinegar. The ink sauce is much richer and thicker than the "adobong pusit" that I'm familiar with, since it was cooked down, but there's no denying the ink flavor. I liked this dish. I had the "coeurs de canard à la plancha" (duck hearts). It was pre-cut in a fan shape to later facilitate slicing and eating. It was very, very lightly pan fried medium-rare, so as not to be too rubbery. It was very simple and with a sprinkling of "espelette" a French red chili pepper; it was a good first start. And, our other companion got the "boquerones--anchois marinés" (marinated anchovy filets). It actually tasted more like pickled mackerel than it did anchovies. It wasn't anything special, but in itself, it was good. Plats: I originally wanted the poitrine de cochon (pork belly), but they were out, so I ordered the "chorizzo de Navarre poché au vin rouge potates à l'écrasée" (chorizo sausage poached in red wine with mashed potatoes). I truly regret that I ordered this dish. First of all the chorizos were poached in this glutinous mess. All I tasted was cornstarch and onions with a hint of wine. And, there was so much of it to make it seem almost like, let's make the dish look larger than it is by adding more of that glutinous mess. Thank god it was atop a cutting board, so I was able to take the 3-chorizos and place it on the board to cut it thereby, avoiding as much of the gooey mess as possible. The chorizos themselves weren't bad, but they weren't good either. The saving grace was the mashed potatoes! Onto the other plat, which was "tripes à la bigourdanne" (stewed tripe). I tasted this dish and I actually liked it. It was accompanied by some herbs and a bottle of armagnac to pour into the tripe. The tripe was prepped really well and cooked to as tender as you can get it. And, surprisingly, it was not oily, which tripe can sometimes be. Our companion had the "lomo of pork and veggies brochette with a side of fries", not on the menu, but a special. I tasted it, it was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. The side of fries looked really good, we all commented that the texture, crispness etc. was great, but it was EXTREMELY salty. Methinks someone has a heavy hand with the salt in the kitchen. Afterwards, feeling quite full, we shared a "pruneaux à l'armagnac". Sometimes simple is really good, and this is what that dish was. All it was were prunes soaked in an armagnac. I'm not a prune fan, but the two liked it. All I can say was wow, that armagnac was strong. Summary: I was really put off by my plat and it has tainted my desire to want to return. The rest of the food itself was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. Service was excellent. The plating was very simple, but some of the plating was a bit strange, like 3-pieces of chopped bell pepper placed in one corner of the board, or espelette sprinkled outside weirdly around the food. With a bottle of Domaine les esquirots sauvignon and one café afterwards, the bill came to 117€ for the 3 of us.

Quaint and interesting, this wine bar was a great place to unwind after a long day of sights. The…read moreneon accents piqued our interests as the building looks like an amalgamation of different decades all combining to one experience. My husband and I shared a bottle of Sauvignon blanc and a plate of grilled sardines (which tasted amazing by the way). Staff was friendly, and you could tell had locals that loved them.

Came here after along day of exploring Paris. We wanted a table outside, and since there wasn't one…read moreavailable they set up a new one outside. Since we didn't speak french, they read and explained the entire menu to us Their wine selection was great (according to our friend) which I thoroughly enjoyed, and we all loved our meals. After dinner, we had some delicious espressos, an amazing armagmac and calvados. Highly recommended.

Great food and great service especially from an American. Had chateaubriand. Amazing. Got it medium…read morerare and that was perfect although center was very red it was fine. Love this place. Also try duck confit which may not be on menu but is avaiable

I know it's a steakhouse but duck confit I'm a sucker for it…read more The business menu is quite a bargain at 34€ Lie royale,duck foie gras,duck confit,cheese platter and 1/2 bottle of wine ! You cannot go wrong with this fixed menu at this price. Service was outstanding and friendly