A poster on another website was eager to find a bistro that was:
-moderately priced
-atmospheric
-old-school
-fireplace a plus.
Now, I’ve written before on bistros, brasseries and restaurants – What’s in a name?
-moderately priced
-atmospheric
-old-school
-fireplace a plus.
Now, I’ve written before on bistros, brasseries and restaurants – What’s in a name?
But it seems to me that what visitors are seeking is a throw-back to their student days at the Sorbonne or their parents’ student days at the Sorbonne when the Left Bank cafés were pretty simple, reasonably-priced places that pushed out classic dishes like a magret de canard, green beans and better frites that we have now.
All the words the poster used have loaded and sometimes divergent meanings, as another sage pointed out.
What is moderately priced, say 30 E a meal before liquids, is expensive to a relative back-packing across Europe for a year and cheap to the Wall Street banker who’s back in the bonus game.
And an atmosphere that Colette and I prefer in a place where we can hear each other, have elbow room, drink in the décor with our eyes and be treated warmly and nicely may not be what my grand-kids think is cool, vibrant and full of pounding music nor my parents who sought table clothes, finger bowls and 15 silver utensils for one meal.
I’ve already addressed what is old-school; again I think old school is good, solid, classic stuff; whereas I think many think it’s what they were served in school or university cantines or others think has to have classic butter, flour, sugar and creamy sauces.
And then there’s the fireplace, which more and more these days seems artificial unless you’re in the country at Sunday lunch with families taking the old folks out.
Finally, while not discussed in the thread I’m referring to, the issue of ownership is an underlying, unstated subject. We seek out chef-owned places, even if SocGen or Credit Agricole are standing over the chef-owner’s shoulders and we mostly eschew the Costes, Blanc, Bertrand, Flo, yes, even Alain Ducasse’s empire outposts.
So what bistro combines moderately prices, atmosphere, old-school cooking and a fireplace? Got me.
Chez Georges, Chez Grenouille and La Regalade meet the atmosphere and old school requirements but customers are jammed together and Paul Bert and Repaire de Cartouche fail the fireplace test. Indeed no place I know except Guy Savoy and Robert & Louise have fireplaces anymore, so maybe that’s a lost cause.
All the words the poster used have loaded and sometimes divergent meanings, as another sage pointed out.
What is moderately priced, say 30 E a meal before liquids, is expensive to a relative back-packing across Europe for a year and cheap to the Wall Street banker who’s back in the bonus game.
And an atmosphere that Colette and I prefer in a place where we can hear each other, have elbow room, drink in the décor with our eyes and be treated warmly and nicely may not be what my grand-kids think is cool, vibrant and full of pounding music nor my parents who sought table clothes, finger bowls and 15 silver utensils for one meal.
I’ve already addressed what is old-school; again I think old school is good, solid, classic stuff; whereas I think many think it’s what they were served in school or university cantines or others think has to have classic butter, flour, sugar and creamy sauces.
And then there’s the fireplace, which more and more these days seems artificial unless you’re in the country at Sunday lunch with families taking the old folks out.
Finally, while not discussed in the thread I’m referring to, the issue of ownership is an underlying, unstated subject. We seek out chef-owned places, even if SocGen or Credit Agricole are standing over the chef-owner’s shoulders and we mostly eschew the Costes, Blanc, Bertrand, Flo, yes, even Alain Ducasse’s empire outposts.
So what bistro combines moderately prices, atmosphere, old-school cooking and a fireplace? Got me.
Chez Georges, Chez Grenouille and La Regalade meet the atmosphere and old school requirements but customers are jammed together and Paul Bert and Repaire de Cartouche fail the fireplace test. Indeed no place I know except Guy Savoy and Robert & Louise have fireplaces anymore, so maybe that’s a lost cause.
On the other hand, they’ll do until something that meets all the criteria shows up:
Le Repaire de Cartouche
8 blvd des Filles du Calvaire, 11th (Metro : Filles du Calvaire)
T : 01.47.00.25.86
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Lunch menus 13 & 24 €, a la carte 35-45 €.
Bistrot Paul Bert
18, rue Paul Bert, 11th (Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny)
T: 01.43.72.24.01
Closed Sunday and Mondays
Menu 16 (lunch), 30 €. (dinner)
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