[Paris] Trip Report: Le Chardenoux (11th)

PenelopeWitherspoon · June 13, 2022, 1:24am

Dinner that night was at Le Chardenoux, a classic bistro that was taken over by Cyril Lignac in 2014 and given a massive facelift in 2019. I have read mixed reviews of the latest iteration of this historic restaurant (Le Chardenoux dates to 1908) but kept an open mind for my visit. On arrival, I asked if I could sit at the bar rather than a table. I enjoy sitting at the bar when I am single diner, and Le Chardenoux’s bar, a large zinc just inside the front door, is a beautiful place to take in a meal and conversation on a Sunday night (Le Chardenoux is open Monday through Sunday for lunch (12:00 to 3:00) and dinner (7:00 to 11:00)).

I started my evening with a Green Garden, which is a Tanqueray gin-based cocktail with cucumber, shiso, mint, green chartreuse, lemon juice and homemade venially syrup. This cocktail was oh so refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

For my starter, I went with the squid, which was served with tomatoes in a chorizo cream sauce. Thankfully, there was a basket of fresh bread to go with it because this dish was outstanding. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, with chunks of chorizo. The squid itself was perfectly tender, and the tomatoes complimented the fish, giving a burst of acidity to the dish.

For my main course, I went with the roasted chicken breast with satay sauce and lemon along with an order of the vanilla mashed potatoes. The chicken was full of flavor, and while I did not taste the vanilla, the mashed potatoes were perfectly creamy and an excellent choice to go with the chicken.

For dessert, I went with the strawberries served with meringue and a strawberry sorbet as it was strawberry season. The strawberries were sweet, but the overall dessert was not overly sweet, which was to my preference.

Along with my dinner I was drinking the Anne Gros and Jean Paul Tollot 2019 La 50/50 which is a Côtes du Brian IGP, made using primarily Grenache, though with Syrah and Carignan, from old vines in Cazelles. I really enjoyed this wine and will be looking to see if I can find it here in New York.

During dinner, a thunderstorm struck Paris, and once the rain subsided, I called a cab and headed back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep to prepare for Day 3 of my trip.

PenelopeWitherspoon · June 13, 2022, 1:26am

Here is the link again just in case.

SteveR · October 22, 2022, 8:16pm

We sat at the bar for dinner tonight & had a very good meal. Although my wife’s starter of fried pieces of shrimp in a bed of lettuce was declared to have too little shrimp for her taste, the rest of our meals were quite good. My first course of Dorade Carpaccio was fresh and tasty, nicely dressed with sesame and ponzu. Our mains were both successful, with me having a miso salmon with both fresh spinach leaves on the plate & a cup of roasted broccoli on the side. It wasnt a plate of mashed potatoes but was healthy & a much needed dose of veggies. Her main was langoustine ravioli in a frothy cream sauce. She loved it, but I managed to get a couple of bites so that I could express agreement. White wines by the glass were NYC priced (16euros/glass), but far exceeded what we’d get back home. No room for the great looking desserts that we saw going by - we’ve been eating way too many sweets.
Just to add: the coated “bar nuts” given when we sat were extremely addictive, each nut coated with a different candy shell, ranging from wasabi to sesame to… well, other good things. Anyone who can tell me what these are and where I can get them back in NYC will be added to my will.

ParnParis · October 23, 2022, 9:13am

I’m joining the queue for a mention in your will. The addictive nuts thing sounds suspiciously Japanese or at least very similar to nibbles I’ve nibbled in Shinjuku bars. Try a Japanese grocery store in Brooklyn.

SteveR · October 23, 2022, 9:26am

I will. It’s possible that I missed them on the shelves during previous forays for Japanese snacks since I’d never eaten any. And, as an aside, you’re already mentioned in my will.