Hope C.
Yelp
My favorite bistro meal in Paris during our recent trip, likely owing to our entrée choices. Le Petit Pontoise is tucked away into a side street not far from Nôtre Dame or the river Seine. Its location is in close proximity to a number of popular tourist attractions, as well as Le Quartier Latin and St. Germain-des-Prés, if you don't mind a little bit of walking. I highly recommend taking a nice long stroll after your heavy meal here, if the weather allows.
We made a reservation a few weeks in advance via our hotel concierge, so I cannot speak to how hard it is to get a table here. We did go on a Thursday night in the springtime at 8pm, and by 8:30pm the place was full. As mentioned in other reviews, the woman who is in charge here is efficient but not overbearing. I loved the atmosphere in Le Petit Pontoise because it was casual and cottage-like, while still maintaining a lot of class. It's not the most romantic of places - perfect for a group of friends or family to eat some home-cooked food and linger over dessert.
We started, as we always did, with two glasses of champagne. It's such a perfect way to start a meal - I never realized prior to our recent trip to France how a single glass of champagne can really set the excitement, anticipation and tone of the meal. It's a signal that the time to relax has come. It's a sign of celebration. Try it for yourself and you'll be a fan, I'm sure!
Our starters were the roasted Camembert and cheesy ravioli. Both were spectacular. Really, how can you go wrong with a quality block of Camembert (with just the right hint of bitter) roasted in the oven until warm and gooey? The ravioli was also wonderful, certainly the best version of "mac and cheese" I've ever had. As a warning, it does come out very hot, so you'll have to wait for it to cool. But the marrying of cheeses in a way that is palatable but not overwhelming is commendable. The roux underneath the melted cheese was also perfect and the ravioli were not overcooked. It seems like a very simple dish, but often these are the hardest to master because there is no complexity to hide mistakes.
My main dish was the favorite that I had in over 9 days in France: the pig stew. It was sweet but savory and served in a mini casserole dish. It reminded me of something that would be served in Quebec or French Canada, simply because of how hearty it was. It was clearly a family recipe of some sort, and it was delicious -- the pork fell apart but was not desiccated and I was so glad to have some bread on the side to mop up the gravy. My husband had duck breast and foie gras over mashed potatoes -- the ultimate in comfort food. Full of flavor but not heavy-handed
The beauty of this place is that the atmosphere, service and food do not feel forced. You don't feel like it's a big production. Our meal took under 2 hours, which, by French standards, was such a welcome relief, because we actually had time to take a walk and enjoy part of the night once it was over! Simple, home-cooked, relaxing and pleasant. And quite affordable at that!