What better location for Paris’s new chipper (fish and chips shop in British slang) than the rue de Vinaigriers (vinegar makers) in the 10th arrondissement? Fans of the deep-fried fast-food favorite are already lining up at the Sunken Chip (39, rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris; tel.: 01 53 26 74 46) and fighting for seats at the cramped shared wooden tables. The white-tiled interior is clean and bright, the service friendly and efficient, and the primary product nicely cooked and not too greasy, with bright-green mushy peas, good chips and plenty of Sarson’s malt vinegar on the table to drown them in. Sausage sandwiches and chip butties (French-fry sandwiches) are also available. Warning to true aficionados: the “classic” version is made with merlu (hake) rather than the traditional cod (presumably because the latter is endangered) and the serving of fish is distinctly smaller than what is found in the British Isles.
For a rather more sophisticated fishy snack, try the Lobster Bar (41 rue Coquillière, 75001 Paris; no telephone;contact@lobsterbar.fr), which specializes in lobster rolls. Once again, the fish serving is smaller than what any New Englander would expect, and the mayonnaise-y sauce is a bit bland, but the fries are good and the ambiance and service laudable in this small restaurant handsomely decorated in wood and brass like the interior of a boat. While I enjoyed my lunch there, however, it did make me long for one of the gourmet lobster rolls with superb fries that Daniel Rose occasionally offers at his restaurant Spring.
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