Mia J.
Yelp
Whatever is a girl to do...?
After planning an afternoon of meandering around the less well known sites of the Marais, I knew I had to find a suitable reward for all our exploring. What better reward than a delicious meal in said part of Paris...well it's easier said than done at certain times of year. Everywhere I looked were little homemade signs saying see you at 'la rentree'...and then I remembered, it's August...nothing is open in Paris!
But Paris by Mouth came to our rescue with a brilliant list of openings, and we discovered Le Dome du Marais, which was not only open but welcomed us with open arms. It turned out to be a perfect solution.
Located a few doors down from the Credit Municipal (oldest pawn shop in France - http://www.creditmunicipal.fr/), which I am sure is fascinating when it's open - the dreaded August hits again - The Dome du Marais is as impressive as it is hospitable.
We were delighted with our experience - pleasant hosts, discreet service, absolutely delicious food and lovely decor. I had the lamb two ways, which I highly recommend. Sweet and tender, the 'selle' had perfectly crispy edge, and the chops were pink and moist. Sadly, it's not the sort of place one is allowed to chew on bones, so I refrained and finished up instead the rather scrumptious ratatouille that accompanied the lamb. N had the whole fish on simple vegetables with a lemon foam. Elegant and tasty.
If like us, once you are seated, you begin to admire the Dome above you and discover it's less than pristine, the paint peeling slightly, don't worry - it's all part of the charm of this place. The decor may not be as pristine and perfect as it looks in the photos, but the clever lighting, tweeting canaries (really!) and smartly dressed waiters remind you you are in a 'nice' restaurant, and the food more than makes up for it.
We finished the meal off with the speculoos cheesecake, which was excellent, (although still doesn't compete with La Maison Mere's incredibly rich version with a hint of lime) and as we made our way back out onto the streets of Paris we realised we'd missed the rain storm that had been brewing all day, and we thanked the Dome to Marais again.
We'll be back for more hospitality and shelter, and maybe outside of August this time...