Eating Well Around The 5th
Restaurants
abound in Paris. Just in the region of the left bank near Notre-Dame
Cathedral you have a myriad of choices. I’m not talking about Rue de La
Huchette or Harpe or the places on Boul. St Michel, but the area close
by. I’d only been in Paris for five days on a recent trip and already
had three great eateries on my list.
Just around the corner from the
Rue de La Bucherie, not where Shakespeare and Company sells books but
where the street begins under tiny trees on Rue Frédéric Sauton at
#8-10, you’ll find Al Dar, an award-winning Lebanese restaurant and
take-out service. The restaurant won the Gold Medal for Lebanese
Gastronomy in 1989 and the Gold Fork of Lebanese Gastronomy in 1991.
While
the lunch special is 20 € per person, the evening fare is about 30%
higher. But the selection is gigantic, leading off with the house
favorite, lamb. Take out prepared lamb skewers, tabouli, houmos,
falafel or any of a few dozen sweet Lebanese deserts. You can drop in
for a snack or a full dinner, served by professionals in a very
comfortable setting. They also have take-out.
The
second restaurant that called out to me was just on the west side of
Boul. St Michel--Le Bistro St. André, at #36 rue Saint-André des Arts
(corner of rue Ségur). It might interest you to know that the word
‘bistro’ is a word originally used by Russian émigrés who would call
out ‘bistro, bistro’ meaning quickly, when ordering. The word stuck.
The
bistro in question served a nice grilled salmon (if you like it
well-done) and salad ‘paysan’ plus wine and beer for fewer than 23 €
for two people. If you’ve never tried paysan (country) salad, it's
topped with slices of fresh paté. My wife and I found it reasonable and
filling. I didn’t try the escargots (snails), a French delicacy. Their
menu is diverse, and the service is cool but efficient. The restaurant
itself is pleasant and comfortable in dark wood tones with a red Nihon
light around the bar. It works.
But
our greatest find so far is a small Italian restaurant at 22 Boul.
Saint Germain, just a few blocks to the east. You can’t miss the red
awning that welcomes you to the chandeliered and newly appointed Pizza
Campione. Don’t let the name fool you--they sell pizzas but also serve
some of the freshest and mouth-watering food in the area. This
restaurant specializes in Italian food, with Antipasti, fish and
seafood, every kind of Italian prepared meats, such as various
Scaloppini, Osso Bucco, steaks with peppers or with tomato, capers,
olives and oregano.
You'll
find all types of pasta, from Fettuccini to Rigatoni, Penne and the
usual Lasagna or Spaghetti, all under 10 €. They have all the usual
beverages and their wines are not only Italian but French as well. My
wife had the Penne Campione, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I stuck to a
traditional pizza but noted the freshness of the vegetables and the
crispness of the dough. We shared a refreshing Insalata Caprese made of
fresh tomatoes, Mozzarella, oregano, basilic and first class olive oil.
We shared a Vin Rouge ordinaire and found it pleasant. A nice touch was
the Kir served gratis when we ordered, and the complimentary Amaretto
Liqueur we were offered with the bill.
Although
the restaurant had only recently opened, it wasn't suffering from a
lack of clients. We got into a conversation with the waiter and part
owner. He is Florent de Bluze, a mild-mannered and charming young man.
In his spare time he manages athletes under the name FBSA, which I
assume to stand for Florent Bluze Sport Alliance. One of his clients is
a French Olympic-level skater. He invited us to watch her compete in
the finals of the Lalique Cup the next day at the venue in the Palais
L’Omnisport de Bercy.
Pizza
Campione is certainly more than a pizza restaurant. It’s a comfortable
and well-appointed eatery run by some very charming people. No
reservations are needed; tell them you read about it in Bonjour Paris.
