Moules et Frites in Paris
 

Hello everyone. I'm nearing an end to a 3 month long study abroad program in Paris. I've got 10 days left in the city, and on my to do list before I go back to the states is to eat moules et frites (mussels and fries). I know that it's more of a Belgian thing, but there's got to be a good place to get them in Paris... any ideas??

isn't that one of the "staples" at most any brasserie..? Also, Chez Leon de Bruxelles restaurants have an extensive 'moules' menu...

Well I haven't seen it at a lot of the places I've been to, but even if it is a staple doesn't mean it's good ;). I'd like the *best* place to go before I leave the country...

Go to Leon's...and don't be so snotty. If you didn't know the answer to your question after spending 3 months in Paris, you should have gotten out more.

No, I just mean you might already have a brasserie or two that you've enjoyed - if so, just try their moules.

To be specific, we're no 'foodies' but my husband enjoyed moules/frites at Brasserie Ecole Militaire (7th) and Cafe le Rendezvous (14th) in the past. We ate at those locations simply b/c they were in the neighborhood. So that's what I mean about checking your 'local' brasserie...

Who was being snotty?? I certainly wasn't. My reply to the first comment was meant to explain that I had not seen the dish all over Paris - if I had I obviously wouldn't be asking here for reccomendations.

I've enjoyed my time in Paris immensely and have been "out" a great deal. As a STUDENT though you should realize that I don't exactly have oodles of money to spend eating out. Even the most common brasserie meals are quite expensive in most of Paris for a student budget, especially when the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar is factored in. Most of my meals I cook for myself in my student apartment.

So, yeah, lighten up. Your judgemental post was by far worse than anything I've experienced here - even from the rudest parigot.

Go to Léon. When I went to Paris the first time in 1996, I ate there 3 times. The meals were reasonable and the moules were cooked in different ways. I am not a foodie so simple meals satisfy me. I am jealous that you were able to stay in Paris for 3 months. Bon appetit.

I'm in Paris twice a year and I AM a kind of foodie, but Sunday nights will often find me chez Leon, scarfing down the moules, etc. -- Enjoy! By the way, I was in Brussels for a weekend last September and passed a Leon there - does anyone know if it is the same chain?
Jess

Don't you believe it. Leon de Bruxelles is a chain with passable mussels but far from what they can be! The best ones, of course, are close by where they're raised. I'm sorry I don't have a Paris restaurant suggestion, but with luck others will have.

Le Sous-Bock Taverne
49, rue Saint-Honoré

Bruxelles Café Montmartre
62, rue Christine

Have you been studying French? If so, you should know it's more colloquial to say "moules frites," not "moules et frites."

The best mussels you will find in Paris before you go home will likely be in a Leon de Bruxelles, Dave_in_Paris was partly right about proximity to where they are grown. The mussel season in France is July to November so anything you get, Leons or Brasserie or Cafe or Restaurant will be imported, and not likely from Europe. When we were there in May, Leons was importing from Canada - PEI cutivated. As it is there speciality they have to search out mussel supplies worldwide.
I approached this chain with a lot of skepticism, however IMO they do a credible job - you won't find any better this time of year.

As an aside in May, Lyon was importing a lot of mussels and it seemed to be a spring thing there around May 1.
In Brugge (Belgium), none of the restaurants were serving mussels in June

Leon de Bruxelles is where I would go. It is on the Champs Elysees. Walking down from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, it is on the right side of the Champs.

I always eat there on the Champs on every visit.

Yes, Robjame is right. I didn't know the parameters of the French growing season or think about intercontinental shipment. But it's long been clear that the quality of mussels here varies considerably, partly depending on the time of year.

We always do the Leon de Bruxelles on St. Germain...just right for that first day when your body clock is still "off" since they serve lunch on through dinner time and it's not too heavy. I like traditional vin blanc/garlic, but they do have quite the selection to choose from. And though I'm no specialist on Carbonnade Flamande, my son thinks their is fantastic.

Best Creme Brulee I've had, too! Yumm! We eat in the finer places as well as the mom and pops and this ones hard to beat.

My husband always gets the mussels when available in Paris (and, yes, they are everywhere). Heard a bad review of Leon's from a friend who's judgement I trust, so we haven't been there, but one of our favorite is a little bar in the 11th called Au Rond Point. Michael Osman introduced us to it and it has great, simply prepared, huge bowls of moules with good, hot frites (so good with a cold Leffe!)

On the recommendation of several posters here I have tried Leon's a few times and the best I can say is they are not awful. It's rather like visiting the US and having a hamburger at McDonald's.
BUT if it is your only option, go for it. I have had moules frites at a number of little brasseries around the city (usually on the chalkboard daily menu) and they were all better than Leon's.

"By the way, I was in Brussels for a weekend last September and passed a Leon there - does anyone know if it is the same chain?"

It's the "original" Léon restaurant, which has been there since the late 19th century. I had a look on www.leon-de-bruxelles.fr which explains that a descendent of the original Léon set up the first French "branch" of the restaurant in Paris in 1989.

Leon de Bruxelles is one of my guilty pleasures. I know the chain doesn't serve the best moules frites, but they're reliably good, and the frites are usually very good, and the frites are "a volonte" - all you can eat. Very good for those of you with large appetites and limited budgets. I find the quality varies a bit from restaurant to restaurant. One of the better ones, in my opinion, is near Opera on Blvd des Italiens. I don't like the St Germain one as much.

Interesting Kate - we have the same opinion of those two locations.

I have never had any complaint with the "doneness" of the moules at Leons. The mussel quality has been fine. The size is smaller which we prefer. There are so many sauces that you can choose from at Leons. I'm with Klondike on his/her sauce preference of white wine and garlic. They were specialing a provencale (my wife's choice) when we were there last and they were excellent.

Seamus - McDonalds was going to try mussels but they couldn't get the breading and ketchup to stick to the shell.

The service in Leons has always been so-so at best - much like you would expect in a chain restaurant I guess. And the price - who can complain about that?

Thank you for correcting me StCirg. I have been studying French in my time here (and I studied it for a while before I came, as well, although that was interrupted for two years to learn German), but we never really addressed that topic in class so I wasn't aware of the proper colloquialism.