Best Croque Monsieur in Paris?
 

There's nothing quite like a good croque monsieur and I'm planning on having several during my upcoming trip to Paris. While I'm sure I can get a very good one at nearly any cafe in Paris, I was wondering if anyone had stumbled across a particularly good one that they thought was worth mentioning. Merci.

You have it right. Croque Monsieur is available throughout Paris at almost any cafe. It's hard to distinguish them. I've had a good one at Deux Magots across from the St. Germain church, where Descartes is buried. The quality of the mustard counts. Of course it's not on my diet anymore.

I like Cafe Bonaparte just steps away from the Deux Magots. Maybe it was the best because it was the first meal I had in Paris. :-) The onion soup there was fabulous too!

Okay, sorry, count me ignorant....what the heck is a croque monsieur? Maybe I need to get one on my upcoming trip.

I had a lovely one at Dame Tartine on rue Brisemiche in the 4th (facing the Igor Stravinsky fountain outside Centre Pompidou).

It's basically an opened-face ham and cheese sandwich which uses the pain de mie bread (instead of a baguette) and béchamel sauce, topped by shredded gruyère and broiled. Simply delicious...can't say as I've had a bad one ever. Nice for a snack or light meal.

The cafe on the corner of rue Dominic and rue de Grenelle.
With a glass of red wine, perfection.

Klondike...Merci, it is going on my list of musts for September.

Or, with a Kronenberg 1665 - sublime.

Thanks all, I may just have to try all of these places! I'm hungry already.

1665! <i>Sacre bleu!</i> I'm a year late and a <i>sous</i> short.

L'ombre de Notre Dame: facing the front of the cathedral, take the street that goes along it on the left. It is, as its name says, in the shadow of the cathedral, and I love love love it!!!!!

Claire

No. I just made two typos. I noticed the e instead of the u, but not the 5.

Sorry, guys!

Too intent on the Turkish figure skater I guess. Great story - and program! Kimmie's on now.

Actually, you missed the &quot;ou&quot; instead of the &quot;e&quot; or the &quot;u.&quot;

well, heck, I'll just give it up and call it a night!

Bye, y'all.

OK, how do you ask for a 1664? Do you say in French &quot;one thousand, six hundred sixty four&quot; or &quot;sixteen sixty four&quot; or something completely different?

Not gone yet. Was reading a trip report.

I ordered it like I ordered everything in France. In English. With a Southern accent.

Kronenbourg sixteen sixty four.

I guess, lynny, perhaps just ask for Kronenbourg?

In French, it's &quot;une Kronenbourg seize cent soixante quatre.&quot;

Thanks! I thought the 1664 was a bit different then the regular Kronenburg?

You can find out about the differences at http://www.brasseries-kronenbourg.com

&quot;Kro&quot; is a blonde lager (pilsner), and 1664 a traditional lager with deeper flavor and less carbonation.

The Kronenbourg label is actually on about five beers of various formulas, in addition to 1664.

The best I've had, no contest, is at the Caf&eacute; Marly.

Better late than never... my favorite croque monsieur -- actually prefer a croque madame -- is at Les Deux Magots. Mmmmm...

Sandy

You can purchase 1664 here in the states at total wine. I enjoyed one just this past weekend...Actually more than one, my wife left me w/the kids all weekend.

SAnParis, I checked out your Savannah spot. That block is now Tony Roma's (with a tatoo place upstairs) at #7 E Bay, Bay Street Blues bar and Outback. That takes up the entire block.

So, it sounds like your old haunt is now gone...and no more Miss Stephanie's! Sorry.

I would vehemently disagree with &quot;it's hard to distinguish them&quot;. Like warm goat cheese salads, to my observation, they vary considerably all over the place.

One of our favorite cafes (La Source in the 7th, just opposite the La Tour-Maubourg metro station, with escalator which emerges into a lovely park) serves a spectacular version of each. The Croque Monsier starts with a thick slice of toasted country bread, with a thick slice of country ham, topped with gruyere mixed with mayo and mustard, all popped under the broiler until the cheese &quot;sauce&quot; is puffy and souffle-like. Quite different than the often typical slice of baguette with very thin slice of ham and very thin slice of gruyere popped under the broiler. Their version, to me, is far superior to any attempt to cut up or take a bite of a crisp baguette. Their warm goat cheese salad is a mound of sensational greens with the most delicious vinaigrette imaginable, with several huge and thick slices of goat cheese (broiled to perfection and not atop those impossible to cut slices of baguette). It's garnished with a handful of walnut halves.

Question for Scarlett: Do you remember the name of the cafe? And, where is the corner of rue Saint-Dominique and rue de Grenelle - on the map they run parallel - where do they form a corner/intersect?

Thanks, Starrsville, for the update on Savannah - we're headed there in a couple of weeks.

For any Zonies looking for 1664 - you can buy it at AJ's (the Pinnacle Peak/Pima store has about 300 imported beers).

My apologies to djkbooks. He/she is quite right. There can be significant differnces in the quality of the cuisine among cafes. I shpuld have clearly stated that the construction of a croque monsieur is pretty much the same but the quality of the ingrdients may vary widely. Pardonez moi.

The cafe is Roussillon , on the corner of Grenelle and Dominque which sort of ends there....where rue Cler is.. so the cafe is across the street from rue Cler and the FranPrix.

I think Cafe Roussillon might be on rue Cler but the other side of the street from the pedestrian side..where it curves around and runs into rue St Dominique..