For meat lovers: Bleu
Bleu is unapologetic about their penchant for meat and grilled cuisine. Whether it’s Charolais sirloin steak, lamb shank from the Pyrénées, Morteau sausages or lobster and mackerel from Brittany, Bleu are putting the grill back in the spotlight. All dishes are served with peas, Provençal tomatoes, dauphinoise potatoes and steamed green beans. The no-frills menu doesn’t include starters, so make sure to try one of their home-made desserts, from lemon meringue tart to strawberries and Chantilly cream and raspberry Vacherin. Simple, yet effective.
119 Boulevard Montparnasse, 75006 Paris, Tel. 01.42.79.06.80
For arty foodies: Bistrot Benoit
Since April, the Louvre has been home to Alain Ducasse’s new venture, Bistrot Benoit. Part of the Ducasse culinary group specializing in museums and cultural events, the restaurant celebrates the French bistro tradition. With its typically Parisian décor – zinc counters, oak parquet floors and red velvet benches - visitors can indulge in the crème de la crème of French traditional cuisine. On the menu? Snails in parsley butter, leeks vinaigrette, foie gras, a ham and cheese croque-monsieur, steak tartare with fries, Pollock, tonka and vanilla crème brûlée and the classic apple tarte tatin. All a stone’s throw from the famous museum.
Musée du Louvre
Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 6pm.
During holidays, on Wednesdays and Fridays 9am to 9pm.
For fans of upgraded retro: Aux Bons Crus
Like its brother Les Marches, Aux Bons Crus revisits the charming roadside restaurant. With its long leather benches, vintage mirrors and checked tablecloths, this restaurant managed by siblings Margaux and Félix Dumant transports visitors back to the times of traditional bistros. The menu lives up to the décor: avocado cocktail, snails, grilled toast with rillettes, steak with Béarnaise sauce, truffle pasta, fresh fish, chocolate mousse, and rum baba, their signature dessert.
54 Rue Godefroy Cavaignac, 75011 Paris, Tel.01 45 67 21 13
auxbonscrus.fr
For those looking for a little something extra: Bouillon Pigalle
Bouillon Pigalle has shot to fame in recent months. Highly acclaimed and very Instagrammable, the décor is a blast from the past. The titanesque restaurant can host 300 people at a time, who all come to enjoy the low prices, simple dishes and pretty hidden terrace. The best things to try? The eggs in mayonnaise, home-made fish rillettes, freshly baked bread, sorrel whelks, steak tartare and crispy fries, the bœuf bourguignon with pasta and the home-made profiteroles with fiori di latte ice-cream.
22 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris, Tel.01 42 59 69 31
bouillonpigalle.com
