Our first night in Paris we taxied to a quiet residential stretch in the 11th arrondissement to dine at Le Bistrot Paul Bert, the quintessential Parisian bistro. Bertrand Auboyneau and Chef Thierry Laurent opened the bistro in 2000, and they've created a dining room that’s loved by locals and travelers alike.
Le Bistrot Paul Bert's eclectic interior includes a bright mosaic floor, oversize mirrors, small wooden tables and unusual chandeliers. The chalkboard menu features traditional French cuisine with a penchant for meat served rare.
Our waiter went over the chalkboard menu with us, all in French. When we didn't order right away, he lost patience with us and moved on, but brusque service is part of the ambience. We eventually started with squid and the fried monkfish. Both were excellent; the quid was tender and the monkfish was perfectly fried. A good start.
Small squid with crystallized lemon
Deep fried monkfish with tartar sauce Le Bistrot Paul Bert is know for its steak frites, and the steak is au poivre. We both ordered the thick filet mignon, pressed with coarsely cracked Sarawak pepper, pan-seared and topped with a Cognac and cream sauce. The sauce was addicting, super rich and the perfect compliment to the steak’s pepper crust.
An admonition on the chalkboard menu reads: We serve meat blue (just barely warm in the center), rare, or badly cooked. Our meat was perfectly prepared and delicious.
The crispy frites tasted great on their own, but even better dipped into the creamy Cognac sauce. They all disappeared.
Le Bistrot Paul Bert's desserts were as impressive as the rest of their menu. I fell in love with the cottage cheese ice cream.
Roasted figs with honey sauce, vanilla ice cream
Strawberries with cottage cheese ice cream Towards the end of our meal, we struck up a conversation with a Parisian couple at the table next to us. The conversation soon turned to politics. They were worried about the increasing popularity of Marine Le Pen and asked if we were concerned about Trump. Not really, we said. There's no way he'll get elected.
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