Don L.
Yelp
Wow, ok? Just wow.
Wonderful place! We saved it for our last night in Paris (also my wife's birthday) and we were glad we did.
Splendid food, amazing service.
Examples:
We walked in at the appointed hour. Another couple walked in right behind us and because I held the door open for them they walked in front of us and asked to be seated. They had a reservation too, but the maître d' said, "The couple behind you were here first, so sorry," and seated us immediately at our choice of tables. We didn't have to ask. (I'm sure I wouldn't have done so on my own!) He had his eyes open and did exactly the right thing.
We were brought a carafe of water (no pushing bottled water!). When it was 2/3 depleted the waiter came by, grabbed it and instantly replaced it with another. He did this three more times.
The maître d' also handled tabled. He'd take someone's order and then go back and shout the details to the folks in the kitchen. Since we were near the open(ish) kitchen, we could hear him. After putting the order in, he actually thanked the kitchen staff! Politesse. And class.
The bread was the best we had in France this trip. Perfect. It came with butter, a rarity in France unless you ask.
This is French food, but their specialty is steak. I had the entrecôte. My wife had the fillet. Both splendid. The steaks came with three sauces: a sweetish sauce made of caramelized shallots, a Roquefort sauce, and a pepper (au poivre) sauce. They were all terrific.
The steak came medium rare as we asked. Perfectly cooked.
My dessert was a fantastic crème brûlée. My wife had a kind of chocolate soufflé called a moelleux au chocolat. The outside was firm, the inside soft and warm. Both desserts were exquisite.
If I could give six stars I would.
Get a reservation! The place is small, maybe 12 tables. You would be very lucky to walk in, at least on a busy summer night. And if you don't reserve, by all means try. But for heaven's sake don't complain if you are turned away! These folks operate on a tight margin with so few tables. They can only handle so many people. Dining is a two-hour long experience. Empty tables a half hour before closing are part of the plan. It's amazing that some people don't get this.
Do make that reservation. You will be thanking me and the others who have rated this place so highly.