4.9 Le Bistrot de Robert, 81, ave Bosquet in the 7th, 01.47.05.36.15, closed Sundays and Mondays but open Tuesdays (as opposed to what Figaroscope said/says). The RFC said it was a boring month, and it’s true, I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel, but while Rubin gave it only two hearts a month ago, that was what he gave l’Idee too, where we had a great meal yesterday - so, one hopes.
The place is the old Italian place Carmine and still bears its name on their credit card receipts, and Zagat lists it in the 07/08 edition, so…..how new can it be? In any case, it’s new-looking, the awning says wine bar/restaurant exactly as the one across the street says, and it’s huge and welcoming – to the extent that everyone yells/greats you like sushi chefs in an Aspen resto – BONJOUR!
They have a great deal; 3 courses are 24 €, 2 courses = 19 - plus there are plates of charcuterie and 2 specials (today they were a daurade royale and a filet of duck). I went for the three course “menu.”
First, I had the terrine of Robert himself, a la Camdeborde at La Regalade, which was not half bad, with standard cornichons and pickled onions but over-the-top caramelized confited onions with a taste of - could it have been figs? – terrific and with Camdeborde-type bread.
Next I had the rognons of veal with a so-so wine sauce and awful horrible mac-n-cheese, when will the French chefs give up the notion they can “do” Italian?
To top it off, I had a petit pot de chocolat with orange zests (it was actually almost a moelleux) and a side ramekin of baby orange slices in real orange juice. Delicious! This brought the meal back up into the “return” range.
The wines, right - the selection is formidable, one chooses from a double-sided rack and pays from 6 € up plus 7 € corkage, carefully explained in French and English on a card on each table (it’s two blocks from the American University – OK?).
The bill, oh yah, 39.50 € with coffee but no bottled water, not bad, eh?
Go? Hummmmhh....but it was better than expected.
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