The food at 122 is impeccably prepared. Above: snails in “angel hair” batter. Pros: Great food, well-chosen wines; pleasant, attentive service Cons: Decor a bit Spartan for my taste. Walking into 122, a memory resurfaced of a journalist’s comment about … Read More
Au Petit Riche has been around since 1854. Pros: Fabulous list of Loire wines; quirky layout; pleasant atmosphere Cons: Cooking seems stuck in a rut The last time I set foot in the Petit Riche was about two decades ago, … Read More
Mélac is all about serious food and wine with no frills. Pros: Good food; inexpensive, well-chosen wines Cons: Slightly batty service In one of those eerie strokes of synchronicity, my date had told me, when I suggested … Read More
Soft-boiled eggs contained bits of salmon and mushroom and were topped with egg-white froth. Pros: Quiet, plenty of space, easygoing service (could also be a con if you’re in a hurry) Cons: Slightly uneven food quality Funny, the … Read More
The menu and decor are on the quirky side at this young-mom-and-pop bistro. Pros: Friendly service, friendly wine list, pleasant surroundings Cons: Rather noisy A mom-and-pop restaurant these days is likely to be run by a couple in their late … Read More
The food at Ratatouille and Tellus (above) carries on the great tradition of French bourgeois cuisine. Editor’s note (May 2013): Tellus is no longer in business, but Ratatouille is still going strong. It’s very rare that I leave anything on … Read More
High-quality food, wine and service in an agreeable setting. Pros: Great buzz; comfortable noise levels; pleasant bistro décor (note the tiled floor); great service, discreetly delivered; good food; special wines. Cons: None worth mentioning Another unexpected find, La Boulangerie, … Read More
Chef William Ledeuil has opened a baby-sister bistro to his much-loved Ze Kitchen Galerie. Back in Paris after two weeks of almost uninterrupted glorious sunshine in La Rochelle. Talk about a reality check: two weeks of people being nice to … Read More
A typical French bistro with a Japanese chef and an adorable staff. Traditional French cuisine with a Japanese twist? That’s what you might expect if you knew that the chef beavering away in his tiny kitchen was Japanese. If you … Read More
Le Garde Robe offers a refreshing alternative to three-course meals. There are times when instead of savoring some majestic creation by a great chef you would rather just chill out at a little street-side table and jaw with friends while … Read More
