We had lunch yesterday at Brion.
TL/DR: this is that “hidden gem” Parisian bistro every American foodie hopes to find.
We each got the 3 Step 39E lunch menu. They also have a small a la carte menu with some additional choices.
It’s a nice room. It was a beautiful day, we got the table by the large open window (not shown, but ideal for both temperature and people watching). They had a few tables outside on the sidewalk as well, most but not all with some cover from the sun. By the end of lunch I’d say they were about half full.
The first course was an excellent eggplant-based tart with a parmesan cream, cucumbers and what seemed like a Spanish romesco sauce. It was a generous portion, not too rich, with all the elements of the dish balanced superbly.
We both got the fish for our main, nicely undercooked pan-fried trout, with baby new potatoes and a beurre blanc with just the perfect amount of smoked paprika. Up there with the best fish dishes we’ve had this spring.
In both cases, the whole of each dish was clearly greater than the sum of the parts. It’s very apparent that this is a talented chef.
Dessert was a nice financier-like cake with blackberries. Very enjoyable, and not too sweet, but not quite in the same league as the two savory dishes.
Forgot to note that I had two glasses of the “house” wine, one white, one red. Neither was remarkable, and each went well with the dish. What was remarkable for Paris is that they were only 6.50E each.
I described it as a bistro above, but Brion calls itself a restaurant. Still, it seemed to me more akin to (excellent) “bistronomie” than a “fine dining” restaurant, with fantastic qualité-prix to boot.
I can’t say it is in the same league as our new favorite, clearly deserving of a Michelin star Géméllus. But it is without doubt for us the second best onz’ “find” of our trip, and I’m already trying to figure out what to cancel so we can get back there once more before this year’s stay in Paris ends.
