We passed this place several times before stopping in for dinner on Saturday night. It was what I imagined a French neighborhood restaurant should be: yellow walls with sleek black moulding and counters, dark wood beams running across the ceiling, small intimate tables filled with people lingering over delicate food. And the price was right; a three course prix fix menu for 16 EUR with several options for each course. We tried to get there early to avoid the crowd, but without success. When we stopped in the front door at 8pm, the waiter asked us if we had a reservation. No, we didn't. So he asked us to come back at 9. And we did. Our table was ready, as promised and we sat down to order. I got the foie gras (fatted prepared duck liver with toasts) to start, the duck confit main dish (leg and thigh braised in its own fat) and creme brulee for dessert. My darling wanted to start with Escargot, then have the Salmon with bernaise sauce main dish. My foie gras came rather quickly and my sweetie watched me eat with just a hit of revulsion. (It was my first foie gras, and while I'm not sure I liked it, the velvety texture and the rich earthy flavor keep coming back to me. The toast is essential for keeping the gamey flavors from becoming overpowering. I'll have to try it again to know if I like it, but I figured, hey, I'm in Paris after all...) For 20 minutes he watched me and the waiter, waiting for his escargot. My plate was cleared and moments later, our main dishes arrived. No escargot. When we pointed out the error the waiter said he would bring it following dinner, but that was not what we wanted. The order was canceled without apology. Bummer. The escargot looked good, too. The food we did get was excellent. The salmon was light and flaky, fresh, and not overcooked. It came with some delightful fingerling potatoes which have a dense buttery flavor and seem less starchy than I'm used to. My confit was a little tough and frankly was too rich a main dish after the foie gras. But I got some of those yummy potatoes. Our Creme brulee was delicious; creamy vanilla with a throughly caramalized sugar top. We almost couldn't finish it.
We got a half bottle of wine, and since the escargot were MIA, our bill was 32. A complete steal in my opintion.