5.0 The Bistro Marbeuf, 21 rue Marbeuf in the 8th, 01.47.20.94.80, open 7/7, (Metro; aw faggedaboutid; #80 bus to Montaigne/Francois 1 is just dandy), is a place we all have passed time after time, and finally received some notice, somewhere, for something and got 4/5 targets on Trip Advisor (as my buddy the chef said, "when #3 is Little Breizh and #9 is the Bistrot Lorette, what does that tell you?")
It tells me "Caveat Emptor," and I went with my old friend from the West Coast who is crashing at my flat for a few days and has high standards but was just off the plane and thus taste-bud-challenged I hoped. Hey, remember, it was Saturday lunch, Judge, and I'm sticking with my story. Anyway, we were warmly welcomed by the enthusiastic front lady and seated at in the primo spot looking out on the street and looked back in to the very, very bistroish interior and it was pretty cool.
He had the salmon and I the crevettes with avocado that had absolutely the right degree of ripening (unpictured) and both were pretty good.
Then he had the broiled gambas with salad and I the quenelles de Lyon (it promotes itself as a Lyonnais resto, and sure, I could have played safe as some readers want me to, but hey, I was on a roll). Well, we came acropper of Metro frozen/thawed, industrial stuff; the gambas were soggy and nigh-inedible and the quenelles like none other I've ever had, and that's not a compliment.
My friend had the apple tart with caramel sauce and ice cream which I thought redeemed the place but he was not so sure did.
With a bottle of Brouilly, no bottled water and two coffees, our bill was $93.60.
Go? Not with Charbon Rouge (open 7/7) a few feet away.
*By "Metro sandwich" I mean OK fresh stuff surrounding thawed mushy stuff.
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