Restaurant FL
Location: Near the Eiffel Tour
Date visited: August 3rd 2013 dinner
This unique modern french restaurant came to our attention via trip advisor. The chef is young and the cuisine is not served in a traditional way. Like many delicious restaurants in Paris, the dining room seats about 30 in very close quarters. They pull the tables out so you can slide in. These intimate venues practically guarantee that you will end up sharing a few words or more with your neighbors.The decor of this small restaurant was also quite unusual, the walls on one side of restaurant had cut-outs to display objects. Mostly wine bottles and a cardboard cutout of a cheeseburger that was positioned behind bars. The other wall had a large graphic painted on it of a sculpture made out of utensils. The dishes are modern takes on classic Southwest French cuisine. They make their own foie gras.
We started the meal by sharing the foie gras. Now this is the second time in Paris we have asked to share an appetizer and it gets some looks from the waiter but honestly it is the only way to ensure room for dessert (Although in this case, it did not). The foie gras was served cold (not my preferred method) but it was delicious. The serving was very generous (between the two of us we could not finish it) and tasty.
For the main course, Sean ordered the pork tenderloin and I ordered duck 3 ways.
The pork was moist and served with a fried croquette of potato or turnip (not entirely sure which). Both were situated above what they menu characterized as barbeque sauce but was actually something thinner more like an au jus but had a wonderful tangy and smokey taste that lingered in your mouth as though you had been barbequing.
The duck 3 ways was a seared duck breast with crispy skin, a tiny sliver of cooked foie gras, and a bowl of duck confit swimming in a cheese sauce. The duck breast was beautifully pink and served along side an entire pear cut in half that had been marinated in red wine. The duck and the pear were an unusual combination but the flavors really worked together. This sat atop a puree of potato. The tiny sliver of hot foie gras melted in my mouth and made me wish I had more (despite having eaten an half an appetizer of foie gras pate). The food was so rich that I could not finish it and made me look forward to the 2 mile walk back to the apartment.
The dessert options sounded fabulous but there was no way we would have room for dessert.
Overall, the food was incredible. My only complaint and this is minor, the restaurant on the night we were there only had American tourists. Some of which were quite... boisterous. There was a man from Boston who was a loud talking Italian type guy who was hard to ignore. But if you are by the Eiffel tour it seems like it is one of 2 highly recommended restaurants in the area. (The other was our first choice Au Petit Sud Ouest, it specializes in duck but was closed for the August holiday).
Date visited: August 3rd 2013 dinner
This unique modern french restaurant came to our attention via trip advisor. The chef is young and the cuisine is not served in a traditional way. Like many delicious restaurants in Paris, the dining room seats about 30 in very close quarters. They pull the tables out so you can slide in. These intimate venues practically guarantee that you will end up sharing a few words or more with your neighbors.The decor of this small restaurant was also quite unusual, the walls on one side of restaurant had cut-outs to display objects. Mostly wine bottles and a cardboard cutout of a cheeseburger that was positioned behind bars. The other wall had a large graphic painted on it of a sculpture made out of utensils. The dishes are modern takes on classic Southwest French cuisine. They make their own foie gras.
We started the meal by sharing the foie gras. Now this is the second time in Paris we have asked to share an appetizer and it gets some looks from the waiter but honestly it is the only way to ensure room for dessert (Although in this case, it did not). The foie gras was served cold (not my preferred method) but it was delicious. The serving was very generous (between the two of us we could not finish it) and tasty.
For the main course, Sean ordered the pork tenderloin and I ordered duck 3 ways.
The pork was moist and served with a fried croquette of potato or turnip (not entirely sure which). Both were situated above what they menu characterized as barbeque sauce but was actually something thinner more like an au jus but had a wonderful tangy and smokey taste that lingered in your mouth as though you had been barbequing.
The duck 3 ways was a seared duck breast with crispy skin, a tiny sliver of cooked foie gras, and a bowl of duck confit swimming in a cheese sauce. The duck breast was beautifully pink and served along side an entire pear cut in half that had been marinated in red wine. The duck and the pear were an unusual combination but the flavors really worked together. This sat atop a puree of potato. The tiny sliver of hot foie gras melted in my mouth and made me wish I had more (despite having eaten an half an appetizer of foie gras pate). The food was so rich that I could not finish it and made me look forward to the 2 mile walk back to the apartment.
The dessert options sounded fabulous but there was no way we would have room for dessert.
Overall, the food was incredible. My only complaint and this is minor, the restaurant on the night we were there only had American tourists. Some of which were quite... boisterous. There was a man from Boston who was a loud talking Italian type guy who was hard to ignore. But if you are by the Eiffel tour it seems like it is one of 2 highly recommended restaurants in the area. (The other was our first choice Au Petit Sud Ouest, it specializes in duck but was closed for the August holiday).
Cafe Strada
Location: Near Centre Pompidou
Date visited: Lunch August 3rd 2013 and Breakfast August 5th 2013
Trip advisor reviews suggested that Cafe Strada had good coffee which seems rather rare in Paris. It was close to our apartment so we decided to check it out. The coffee was superb. This small cafe open for breakfast and lunch has seating for 20 and it is well spaced. The art on the walls is street art. The owner is British and so most of the patrons are English speaking (Americans and Brits). For lunch Sean ordered a croquette mister which is a traditional croquette Monsieur with a poached egg and cured ham on top. I had a small personal quiche with smoked salmon and spinach both were served with a fresh green salad. It was a tasty bite but the coffee was really the star of the restaurant.
We liked the place enough to come back for breakfast the day we left for Nice. Breakfast for 8 Euro includes freshly squeezed orange juice, any hot coffee (including a latte), a bowl of buttered toast with strawberry jam and marmalade and a croissant. For another 3 Euro you can get a hard-boiled egg. Overall it was a delightful last meal in Paris.
La Cordonnerie
Location: Near the LouvreDate visited: August 2nd 2013 dinner
This is a darling restaurant on a quiet street not too far from the Louvre. After a nearly 10 hour day looking at Art, we were famished. We approached the small restaurant and asked for a table. The waiter asked the chef who was working in an open kitchen and they agreed to seat us. This restaurant has 8 tables inside and 2 outside. The ceiling are low and the tables/chair sets suggest a rustic elegance. The interior of the restaurant was very warm. Poor Sean was seated in the corner and throughout the meal, I could see the sweat beading up on his brow. But I think we would both agree it was worth it. The chicken dish I had was life changing.
Seated in a small corner of the restaurant beside one other table, we looked over the menu. They have chef specials that change daily. While debating over what to get, the couple beside us recommended the chicken dish that was one of the specials for the day. Her exact words to me were "It will change your life". How could I possibly turn that down?Anyone who loves "small world" stories will appreciate this. This couple that leaned over to whisper their recommendations are from Seattle. Not only are they from Seattle but they lived in Capitol Hill just a few miles away.
The restaurant operates with 3 employees. The chef, a waiter and a dish washer. Despite running an entire kitchen alone, the chef came out personally to our table to explain the specials. When the time came we ordered the Salmon Tartar to share, Sean ordered the scorpion fish nd I ordered this life changing chicken (all three were specials).
The Salmon tartar was fresh salmon and was so light and refreshing. This is the second time I have ordered a tartar in Paris and I am starting to think perhaps they do it differently than in the US. In both cases the ingredients used to make the "dressing" gave the tartar a tuna salad quality. This salmon tartar was made with fresh french dill and a light lemon vinaigrette.
Scorpion fish is a lovely mild white fish. It was filleted without bones and sauteed with rosemary. It was served with rice and leeks. The leeks were fabulous in a buttery garlic sauce.
The chicken. Oh the chicken. It was a chicken breast sauteed to brown the exterior and then baked at a low temperature. It was soooo moist. Now we have all had moist chicken breast that was not the amazing part. The chicken was sliced and then covered in the most exquisite sauce. I will be dreaming about this sauce for years to come. It was a gravy drizzled with a raspberry sauce that tasted simple enough but when I asked the chef about its preparation he told me it was homemade veal stock with vegetables that was thickened with a rue and then on top was drizzled with raspberry vinegar. The hearty veal sauce with the tangy raspberry vinegar was perfectly balanced. It tasted like nothing I had ever had before.
For dessert we had bananas flambeed table side in rum. The rum was of high quality and the banana were warm, gooey and started to crystallize. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day.
L'as du Falafel
Location: Le Marais
Date visited: August 1st 2013 lunch
Located in the heart of the Jewish
section of Le Marais we ended up eating at this busy eatery after trying to visit a Jewish Deli that was on holiday. You can get falafel sandwiches to go or for a few Euros more eat inside at one of their air conditioned tables. It was 97 degrees in Paris the day we ate here so we paid the premium for a table. The wait staff was efficient like a well oiled machine. Their goal is certainly to get people in and out during the lunch rush but the service was still good. Sean and I both ordered the special falafel sandwich which was a pita stuffed full of fresh shredded cabbage, slicres of roasted eggplant and 10 that's right 10 balls of falafel. This pita was so big it was nearly the size of your head and was almost impossible to eat without a fork and knife. The homemade lemonade was tart and refreshing. This meal was substantial despite coming with a small price tag. 5.50 Euro to go or 8 for a table inside (keep in mind that includes tax and tip). This is a great mid day meal if you are already wandering the area and if the weather is cooler I would recommend taking it to the Places Vosages for a picnic!
Le 404
Location: Near the Centre Pompidou
Date visited: July 27th 2013 lunch
There is a detailed post about this meal under Moroccan cuisine. But the meal was well seasoned and reasonably priced at 17 Euro for 2 courses.
L'Ange 20
Location: Near the Centre Pompidou
Date Visited: July 28th 2013 dinner
A detailed description of this meal is under the post "Gallery of Evolution and Jardin Luxembourg". This lovely little restaurant was my favorite overall dining experience in Paris. The service and atmosphere made this a delight.
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