Pot de Terre

April 20, 2005: There are two types of tourists: those who go where all the other tourists go because they are afraid to leave the beaten path, and those who wouldn’t be caught dead in any place where other tourists tread. Perhaps it is time for the two to get together. Not only are prices creeping up alarmingly in Paris’s more creative mid-range restaurants, but also this type of restaurant generally scorns many favorites of French cuisine. Restaurants that cater to tourists, however, are only too happy to serve what may be clichés to some but are old favorites to others, such as escargots, onion soup topped with a thick layer of croutons and melted gruyère (make sure the soup is fait maison, or home-made), confit de canard, saddle of lamb with garlic, and, for dessert, mousse au chocolat or île flottante. When you’re in the mood for a hearty meal that won’t flatten your wallet, try one of the restaurants lining the Rue du Pot de Fer in the fifth arrondissement. We tested two of them, both of which offered hearty, delicious meals for what is now a pittance in Paris. With its medieval interior (stone walls, exposed beams and wrought-iron candlesticks on each table), the Pot de Terre (€14 fixed-price menu) wins in terms of ambiance and décor, while the slightly cheaper L’Auberge du Vigneron, with a €13.50 fixed-price menu, is a perfectly fine alterative. Both restaurants’ menus include a good choice of first and second courses and desserts.

Pot de Terre: 22, rue du Pot de Fer, 75005 Paris. Tel.: 01 43 31 15 51.

L’Auberge du Vigneron: 18, rue du Pot de Fer, 75005 Paris. Tel.: 01 42 17 00 15.

Heidi Ellison

© 2005 Paris Update