Henri V.
Yelp
Le Comptoir de la Gastronamie is French and literally translates to the counter where the art and knowledge of preparing and eating good food.
This gourmet shop and restaurant is located on Rue Montemarte in the Halles district of Paris and has been here since 1894. Known for typical french foods: Foie Gras, caviar escargot, onion gratin soup, cheese and wine offered and priced reasonably $$.
I'm not a hugh fan of Magret aka Duck, but all the tourists from Asia all order it.
I've visited this casual shop/diner/restaurant for the last 3 decades and still enjoy the foods but have realized my palate has elevated exponentially, as well as my expectations of service...the food and service was great just NOT exceptional.
I must agree with the Michelin star reviewers and say this restaurant is not on the same league as other award recipients; due primarily to inconsistent service or lack of. Although my dining experiences had been pleasant, I've witnessed bad attitude, poor service towards other diners, a major faux pas! It's possible that more than one restaurant critic dining solo had poor service and hence the deduction in Michelin stars.
Evidently, this restaurant is not a fan of solo diners and that's unfortunate, most times I am a solo diner like many and we can eat and drink and spend Beaucoup bucks $$$$
I prefer dining outdoors, and thank goodness because space inside the restaurant was tight and the last few times I was there, it was crowded with tourists from Asia, and was not sure which country but I didn't want to over hear them loudly talking, the waiters and locals were annoyed because I overheard them commenting and not too kindly. However, the owners cannot be annoyed by the Asian tourists as the restaurant consisted of 95% of the diners all ordering magret=duck!!
On to the food: if you appreciate and have a palate for all the french classics, by all means order them all on your first days while in Paris as reintroduction to french foods 101. No artful food plate presentation here, just good basic french classics which would be considered gourmet caliber by some...
Because some states in the US like California bans the production and sale Foie Gras, I cannot eat it as often. For those who don't know, Foie Gras is a delicacy made from the 'LIVER' of a duck or goose. Strangely, I don't eat any other liver of any sorts, but have acquired a palate for this and appreciate this delicacy when available.
The Foie Gras is a must because it's the house specialty, as a main dish or addition to an entree...it pairs well with a ribeye steak! And ask the waiter for the perfect wine pairing, your palate senses will be enlightened at Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie. Recommend