6.5 L'Arôme, 3, rue Saint-Philippe-du-Roule in the 8th, 01.42.25.55.98, closed Sundays, is a really neat looking place with upscale flowers, table clothes and glasses. I was greeted terribly warmly by Eric Martins, ex from l’Ami Marcel, who couldn’t have remembered me from there but acted glad to see me.
There is an ample 33 € blackboard lunch menu with mostly terrine/type firsts except for one hot dish and thus I ordered the soup with essence of small crabs and whole mussels – fantastic.
My biche bourgignon had a spectacular sauce but was both too much and too dry (but I’m finding all game dry these days so maybe it’s me). The celery mousseline with it, however, was very, very good, as was my dessert of pear in red wine and violet ice cream.
The bread was either made there or a holdover from before Lionel Poilane died because it was gold standard – crisp outside and moist inside. I predict he’s going for the stars.
Wine is by the bottle, glass, 25 and 46 cl pots, the cheese from MA Cantin and the coffee Illy – the guy has good providers. My bill was 50.80 €.
”Should one go?” Chef Pascal Bataillé, ex of Pierre Gagnaire, has got it pretty much right, let’s give him another try.
*Originally published in December 2006.
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