Le Chistera

[follonica2]

Does any one know this restaurant? I discovered it on the 'net but can't find any reviews or opinions.

http://www.lechistera.fr.st/

I'm a new member, have been browsing the forums, and am suitably impressed, so be gentle with me. It's my first post.

[daw]

Does any one know this restaurant? I discovered it on the 'net but can't find any reviews or opinions.

http://www.lechistera.fr.st/

I'm a new member, have been browsing the forums, and am suitably impressed, so be gentle with me. It's my first post.

Can't say I know anything of this place, but the website is awful with pop ups etc.

[marlena spieler]

mmmmm, I love duck and i was just staying around the corner. webiste is endearingly tacky.......

anyhow the weather is too hot now. when autumn rolls around i shall definately try.........

merci, beaucoup, follonica2!

x marlena

[follonica2]

Marlena: Yeah, the website is kind of tacky and it does generate pop-ups, but the restaurant does look good. I won't be there until the beginning of December, so if you try it in the autumn, please report back.

[markk]

I checked the following books from my shelf, and i's NOT listed in any of them (granted they're not all current editions, but as the restaurant looks like it's been around for a while, that shouldn't make a difference):

Gault-Millau France 2003

Le Pudlo France 2002

Guide Routard (Hotels et Restos de France) 2000

Guide Michelin France 2002

Bistros of Paris (Hamburger) 2001

Gourmet Paris

So you've got a mystery on your hands. My method is to check it out in advance by going by at a mealtime and poking around. You can usually get a vibe that tells you if it looks good and if the people are enjoying themselves, and if you're clever enough you can usually see what the food that people are eating looks like. I've been known to check out restaurants several times (at lunch and dinner) before going to eat or writing them off.

[John Talbott]

follonica2 - Thanks for what sounds like an interesting find; interesting at least to check out on foot before sacrificing the foie.

[John Whiting]

Curious. It's not even in Le Pudlo Paris, which errs on the side of the encyclopaedic. As to their website, Mirabel Osler wisely advised against judging a French restaurant by its interior decoration; perhaps this should also apply to its graphics.

EDIT: Had a closer look at the website. It's vulgar in an endearing rather than a cynically commercial way. I'm prepared to give it a go. If they're telling the truth, i.e. that they've been there for seventeen years and that most of their patrons are local, they must be doing something right.

Edited July 26, 2004 by John Whiting (log)

[John Talbott]

There is indeed a restaurant called Le Chistera at 60, Rue St-Maur in the 11th, 01.47.00.46.87. It doesn’t reopen until August 31st but was well-lit when I looked inside. It has the décor and appearance of the old Les Ormes or L’Equitable and a menu that is indeed full of duck dishes for 1sts and mains. I think the website accurately describes their fare but obviously I neither tasted it nor saw the customers eating. I’d be most interested in someone’s experience because like others, it’s not in any of my guidebooks.

[hazardnc]

I was so excited to see this post. My family dined at Le Chistera on a trip to Paris a few years ago. I found the restaurant through Cityvox.com. I love duck. I will eat any and all parts of the duck - my husband avoids innards! We were in Paris in June, so it was too hot to eat cassoulet, but the reviews I found said that their cassoulet is very good - so if you're in Paris in the fall or winter, you must go!

Here is a quickie review that I did for a trip report on Slowtrav.com

We made our way back to the apartment via a VERY crowded metro, rested for a short while and then head to dinner at La Chistera on Rue St. Maur. This was a great meal and a great value, at 23 euro for three courses. My son chose to skip the starter and dessert (too different for him) but he ate a great steak with bernaise sauce. The vegetarian had toasted goat cheese on salad, a cepe omelet and an incredible strawberry gratin for dessert. My husband had escargots, veal in a morel sauce and a cheese plate and I had foie gras (delicious) and grilled leg of duck, with a chocolate and orange mousse for dessert. It was excellent. Full and tired, we had a struggle getting home since the two closest metro stops had closed. We had arrived to the restaurant at 8 and it was relatively empty: we left at 10 and it was starting to pick up.

Edited September 2, 2004 by hazardnc (log)

[hazardnc]

Here's the link to cityvox:

http://www.cityvox.com/profil/0,3997,PAREN...tml?provenance=