Bistro Paul Bert

[sharff]

My wife and I had a delightful lunch at Bistro Paul Bert in the 11th at 18 Rue Paul Bert (01.43.72.24.01). Closed Sunday and Monday.

A pleasant surprise was a 16 euro menu of three courses (changes daily); starters were mussels or rabbit rillettes, mains were rump steak or Bar (sea bass), desserts were strawberry sorbet or orange salad with some fresh mint.

My wife had the mussels which were good quality but in a white wine sauce that didn't add to the dish. She had the fish served on a bed of buttered spinach. She finished with the sorbet.

We saw others eating the rump steak. It was a thick round of beef wrapped with bacon (or bacon fat).

I ordered off the 30 euro menu starting with grilled squid salad that was a straight-forward preparation. I followed with a lievre royale (hare in a blood sauce). Oh my, this is what I come to France to eat! The boned hare was wrapped around liver and then sauced. Nothing more on the plate, so it looked very plain but was great.

I finished with the cheese. They brought over a plate of six cheeses and left them for me to take as much as I wanted. I was too jet lagged to know if they were great cheeses but I know I ate all I wanted of some fine cheese.

I ordered an 03 St Chinian that was a little rough. The restaurant has an amazing wine list to read through.

I think we were the only English speakers in the restaurant but we've always felt that Madame will translate if help is needed. We've only been for lunch, and it's always felt like this is a friendly neighborhood bistro. They fill up so it's worth making a call to reserve a table.

Al Sharff

[zoeadler]

I second the reccomendation to go. We live in the area and always drag our foreign friends to Chez Paul for the french bistrot experience (bad food, but good atmosphere) - but no longer!

We went there last night after we saw a review by Francois Simon (food critic) on TV. We weren't let down. The 3 course, 30 euro dinner is very worth it. Be warned though, the choices are very "french"...tripes, lots of meat, etc. The owner is a hunter (as my french father in law found out after a discussion with him).

We had a lovely appetizer - calamari sauteed with citron confit. Very nice. Light. Tasty. Perfect. As a main we both had the cod with sauteed red cabbage and butter. The cod was huge, super fresh and tender and delectible. Desert was a fondant au chocolat, not that fondant but nice and rich and very chocolaty.

This is a GREAT place to go for a totally non tourist little bistrot. Warm and friendly service. The rpice is right. The food is very good. I wouldn't make a special stop for it, but if you're looking for a convivial not that pricy authentic french restaurant, this is a great choice!

Zoe

[John Talbott]

I second the reccomendation to go. We live in the area and always drag our foreign friends to Chez Paul for the french bistrot experience (bad food, but good atmosphere) - but no longer!

Zoe

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Yes and don't pass up their off-shoot - l'Ecallier du Bistot, practically next door; awesome Utah beach oysters.

However, do pass up this Sunday's Washington Post article that correctly says the 11th is the happening place but misses all the great new restos in the 11th (eg Temps au Temps, Vieux Chene, Le Sot l'y laisse, Les Bas Fonds.)

[mzimbeck]

To give visitors a better idea about a traditional Paris bistro menu, I have attempted to translate Friday night's menu from the Bistrot Paul Bert.

This oft-cited restaurant is in the 11th arrondissement at 18 rue Paul-Bert, M° Charonne (01.43.72.24.01).

Any corrections and/or discussion are welcome, as I'm still very new to France's language and food!

Entrées

Gaspacho andalou à la coriandre fraîche - Cold tomato-based soup (from Andalucia in Spain) with cilantro and chunks of cucumber, sweet peppers, and onion.

Petits filets de sprat marinés, salade de rattes à l'aneth - Small, marinated filets of herring with a salad of small dilled potatoes.

Carpaccio de merou à la citronelle - Fresh raw grouper with lemongrass.

Salade de haricots verts avec pignons de pins et au parmesan - Salad of green beans with pine nuts and parmesan.

Hure de cochon maison et sa vinaigrette moutarde violette - Homemade head of pig (headcheese) with violet mustard vinaigrette.

Feuilleté de ris de veau à la crème de morille - Thymus gland of veal (sweetbreads) in puff pastry with a morel mushroom cream sauce.

Assiette de melon et jambon serrano - Plate of melon and serrano ham.

Plats

(Note says "Our red meats are served rare, medium-rare, or "badly-cooked")

Dos de cabillaud roti beurre salé et sa pôelée d'epinards - Roasted fresh cod with salted butter and sautéed fresh spinach.

Lotte rôtie à la tomate fraîche et sa ratatouille - Roasted monkfish with fresh tomato and ratatouille (stew of eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and olive oil)

Tartare de boeuf et sa frites maison - Raw beef with homemade fries.

Epaule de cochon de lait rôtie, ail echallotes et grenailles - Shoulder of milk-raised pig with bite-sized potatoes dressed in garlic and shallots.

Rognon de veau juste rôtie au four et ses petits legumes - Veal kidneys, barely roasted in the oven with tiny vegetables.

Onglet de boeuf au poivre et ses frites maison - Peppered beef (similar cut to a flank steak) and homemade fries.

Côte de boeuf légèrement crèmée et son risotto aux cèpes - Rib steak with a light cream sauce and wild mushroom (porcini, in Italy) risotto.

Desserts

Tarte fine aux abricots - Thin apricot tart.

Fontainebleau aux framboises - Creamy white fresh dessert cheese from the Ile-de-France with raspberries.

Ile flottante à l'ancienne, vanille de Tahiti et pralines roses - "Floating Island" of poached meringue floating in créme anglaise (light Tahitian vanilla cream sauce) with pink pralines.

Clafoutis aux cerises - Custard tart with cherries.

Profiteroles maison - Puff pastry balls filled with homemade vanilla ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce.

Kissel de fruits rouges et sa glace maison au fromage blanc - Thickened purée of red fruits with homemade ice cream of fresh cheese (similar to frozen yogurt).

As you can see, there are items for adventurous as well as skeptical eaters. Steak is always a safe bet for the gland-wary.

And vegetarians, contrary to popular rumor, won't starve in Paris. Especially if they eat fish. But even strict vegetarians can usually find a starter or two, plus cheese and dessert. Vegans: good luck to you.

Menus like this usually include all but wine and coffee. A bottle of Tavel Rosé, very cold and very good, was 20 euros.

Those visiting Paris might experience sticker shock in reading that a 30 euro menu (80 total for 2 people with wine) is the foundation of a "budget" restaurant in Paris. But so it goes. One eats out less frequently in Paris, favoring picnics and cheap ethnic food in between splurges. Tourists who eat au restaurant every night are living much larger (in terms of both wallet and waistline) than the average local.

Having said that, moments of indulgence in Paris restaurants (after much homework to weed out the duds) provide plenty of justification to stay. Or, for visitors, to return.

Bon Appétit!

[BigboyDan]

Price is in line with what they offer; thanks for the write-up.

[Felice]

What a good idea Mzimbeck. There are often a few things on a menu that I don't know, but I never bother to go back and translate them later. I would never have known what a "kissel" or a "hure" was. Or even "sprat" for that matter. Your translation looks good to me and has given me inspiration to be more active about learning the words I don't know.

How did you like Paul Bert? I went back a month or two ago and loved it.

[mzimbeck]

What a good idea Mzimbeck.  There are often a few things on a menu that I don't know, but I never bother to go back and translate them later.  I would never have known what a "kissel" or a "hure" was.  Or even "sprat" for that matter.  Your translation looks good to me and has given me inspiration to be more active about learning the words I don't know. 

Thanks! That's another reason why I did it - to learn the words that I also skip over when reading a blackboard menu.

How did you like Paul Bert?  I went back a month or two ago and loved it.

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This was the 3rd (maybe 4th?) time that I've been to the Bistrot Paul Bert, and it was probably the least enjoyable. But I chalk that up in large part to the oppressive heat that made a 3-course menu feel more like a death march than a treat.

That, and the gaspacho was watery and not-so-cold, which led me to suspect that they had been trying to salvage the soup with ice cubes.

The cod with salted butter and sauteed spinach was simple and delicious, and I hope to steal the idea (in cooler temperatures) of just laying a slab of really good butter over a dish in lieu of a more complicated sauce.

Having said all this, previous visits to Paul Bert were thoroughly enjoyable and, while I may myself take a break from it for a while, I'd recommend it highly to others.

Cheers,

Meg

[Forest]

Am I the only one that thought the wines are overpriced there? Very long list, so lots of choice, but I saw one or two bottles that I've had at other restaurants of the same quality for about 30 Euros less.

But, otherwise, I was very impressed with the 30 Euro menu for the taste and quality. I would go back again, but was a tiny bit disappointed in the wine prices. (But, maybe I'm wrong on that - there were only a few on there that I was certain of their price in other restos) So, feel free to correct me!