It took some research to decide on this restaurant for our one night in the city. It had to have a “proper” French menu. And not “touristy French”. The Bouchon has a fixed six course tasting menu which ticked all the boxes. It’s the ideal place you want your research to find – down a side street and off the beaten tourist path (although many diners had obviously done similar research). Service was a delight – the sort of place that you immediately know as you walk in that everything will be fine.
As you might expect, there was an amuse bouche. In fact, there were three amuse. A cold pea soup, topped with whipped cheese. A mushroom stuffed with raw tuna. And a carrot and chickpea “falafel”. And there’s bread of course. For the first actual course, a cold fennel soup with a bean croquette and a sprinkle of grilled buckwheat. Then an octopus salad – chunks of seafood with sprouted lentils and a lme & coriander sauce. Both of these were very light and fresh.
Then on to the main courses. A fillet of monfish with locally grown mushrooms and chickpeas (holding a nice little bite to them). Duck breast for the second main – cooked in the oven for a long time at a low temperature. Very succulent. A red pepper, garlic and honey sauce was unusual but lovely. Came with peas, cherry tomatoes and an artichoke puree.
A cheese course brought thin slices of Tome de Pur Brebis Bio de la Gaec Casebonne – a sheeps milk cheese from the Pyrenees. It came with a dried fruit “paste” and more bread of course. Dessert was a triumph – arancini filled with white chocolate and sprinkled with pistachio. A sauce of strawberries and grilled red peppers offset the otherwise very sweet chocolate. An unsual pairing of fruit and vegetable. Really nice. Great coffee to finish.
One of the best overall dining experiences we’ve had this year.
