Paris dining: duck and shellfish recommendations.
Apr 17th, 2005, 05:23 AM
#1
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Paris dining: duck and shellfish recommendations.
Headed to Paris in October. Staying at the Bonaparte, but restaurants don't have to be nearby. Last trip we tried many variations of chicken, veal, and lamb but didn't order duck, shellfish or seafood anywhere. We want to correct that this time.
As for the seafood restaurants, I made the mistake of kind of turning up my nose at establishments with ice displays on the front sidewalk. For some reason, we avoided those. Now I realize such displays usually indicate the proprietor's pride in his offerings. Many on these forums have mentioned a "shellfish platter" for two...sounds yummy. (L'Alsace and La Criee are a couple of names I've noted...anyone recommend them?)
We would appreciate some suggestions for restaurants we should seek out specifically for duck or seafood. We usually spend around 50euro per person, incl a bottle of wine and dessert.
As for the seafood restaurants, I made the mistake of kind of turning up my nose at establishments with ice displays on the front sidewalk. For some reason, we avoided those. Now I realize such displays usually indicate the proprietor's pride in his offerings. Many on these forums have mentioned a "shellfish platter" for two...sounds yummy. (L'Alsace and La Criee are a couple of names I've noted...anyone recommend them?)
We would appreciate some suggestions for restaurants we should seek out specifically for duck or seafood. We usually spend around 50euro per person, incl a bottle of wine and dessert.
Apr 17th, 2005, 05:54 AM
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One of Allards specialties is a duck with olives and my DH like the duck at Chez Fernand on rue christine. In fact he had it twice on our last trip!
L'Espadon Bleu on rue Grand Augustins ( 1 of Jacques Cagna's baby bistros) has excellent fish dishes. These are all within walking distance of your hotel
L'Espadon Bleu on rue Grand Augustins ( 1 of Jacques Cagna's baby bistros) has excellent fish dishes. These are all within walking distance of your hotel
Apr 17th, 2005, 06:16 AM
#3
Consider La Cagouille for seafood. We have eaten there several times and love the food. Its address is 10, pl Constantin Brancusi in the 14th. It's in a sterile looking apartment building off the main road. The outside dining is nice, but in October you will probably be inside, which has a sterile decor. They are open Sunday.
If you like raw clams and oysters, you should definitely go to a brasserie for a seafood platter ("fruites de mer"
which also will have other cold seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and crab. There will be a pile of great stuff on ice. The pile will sized to the number of people ordering it. Add a bottle of dry white wine from Macon or the Loire or Alsace and have a feast for the eyes and the tongue.
If you like raw clams and oysters, you should definitely go to a brasserie for a seafood platter ("fruites de mer"
which also will have other cold seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and crab. There will be a pile of great stuff on ice. The pile will sized to the number of people ordering it. Add a bottle of dry white wine from Macon or the Loire or Alsace and have a feast for the eyes and the tongue.
Apr 17th, 2005, 06:39 AM
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Jeanne,
Here are a few that I have had personal experience with that are within walking distance of your hotel:
Fish
69, Rue du Seine
wine bar & cafe. wonderful, simple food & great wine selection. One of my favorites.
Leon de Bruxelles- a chain, but great mussels, creme brulee.
Le Petit Zinc at 11 rue St Benoît- very good seafood, lots of oysters.
Allard at 41 rue St André des Arts.
As Jody said, the duck with olives is one of their specialties, and is amazing!
Here are a few that I have had personal experience with that are within walking distance of your hotel:
Fish
69, Rue du Seine
wine bar & cafe. wonderful, simple food & great wine selection. One of my favorites.
Leon de Bruxelles- a chain, but great mussels, creme brulee.
Le Petit Zinc at 11 rue St Benoît- very good seafood, lots of oysters.
Allard at 41 rue St André des Arts.
As Jody said, the duck with olives is one of their specialties, and is amazing!
Apr 17th, 2005, 07:01 AM
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Marcy,
We ate at two of your rec's: Leon Bruxelle (next to Mabillon metro, right?). Perfect for a cold rainy day. Also Le Petit Zinc. Didn't order seafood, but an all-round excellent meal.
I forgot to mention another of our favorites: La Mediteranee, Place de l'Odeon. We had the lamb, but have since learned their specialty is seafood. Excellent ambience---noted paintings and murals. I think we'll go back and try their seafood. The food was great and several waiters attended us in a friendly, attentive manner. Funny story: at the end of our meal a young waiter gave me a slip of paper with his name, phone and address---he lived with his parents. (I'm 55.) We never did figure out why, but we thought it was charming nonetheless. A continuous source of amusement every time we discuss Paris.
As for Allard's and the duck with olives, please tell me more. I'm accustomed to duck with a berry or citrus based sauce. What is an olive sauce like?
We ate at two of your rec's: Leon Bruxelle (next to Mabillon metro, right?). Perfect for a cold rainy day. Also Le Petit Zinc. Didn't order seafood, but an all-round excellent meal.
I forgot to mention another of our favorites: La Mediteranee, Place de l'Odeon. We had the lamb, but have since learned their specialty is seafood. Excellent ambience---noted paintings and murals. I think we'll go back and try their seafood. The food was great and several waiters attended us in a friendly, attentive manner. Funny story: at the end of our meal a young waiter gave me a slip of paper with his name, phone and address---he lived with his parents. (I'm 55.) We never did figure out why, but we thought it was charming nonetheless. A continuous source of amusement every time we discuss Paris.
As for Allard's and the duck with olives, please tell me more. I'm accustomed to duck with a berry or citrus based sauce. What is an olive sauce like?
Apr 17th, 2005, 07:13 AM
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Le Petite Zinc offers a huge seafood platter.
It is a dome of ice covered with different kinds of oysters, clams, shrimp, langoust, crab, snails, periwinkles, cockles and mussels - alive, alive all.
Try a bottle of Sancerre with it.
It is a dome of ice covered with different kinds of oysters, clams, shrimp, langoust, crab, snails, periwinkles, cockles and mussels - alive, alive all.
Try a bottle of Sancerre with it.
Apr 17th, 2005, 07:17 AM
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PS
Le Grille St Germaine, Rue Guisard corner of Rue Mabillon.
A typical bistro with good food at low to moderate prices. Prix Fixe dinner about 16E. House white wine was a modest Chablis, 12E.
The oyster platter (6 for 9E) was excellent.
Meteora, a Greek restaurant on the Rue de la Huchette – 9E tourist menu.
Good Retsina for 15E.
The specialty is the seafood platter 26E for one, 48 for 2, 86 for 4. A portion for one is 12 oysters, 12 snails, 12 clams, 6 langouste, 12 shrimp, a crab and a bowl of periwinkles.
All very fresh and tasting of the sea.
Le Grille St Germaine, Rue Guisard corner of Rue Mabillon.
A typical bistro with good food at low to moderate prices. Prix Fixe dinner about 16E. House white wine was a modest Chablis, 12E.
The oyster platter (6 for 9E) was excellent.
Meteora, a Greek restaurant on the Rue de la Huchette – 9E tourist menu.
Good Retsina for 15E.
The specialty is the seafood platter 26E for one, 48 for 2, 86 for 4. A portion for one is 12 oysters, 12 snails, 12 clams, 6 langouste, 12 shrimp, a crab and a bowl of periwinkles.
All very fresh and tasting of the sea.
Apr 17th, 2005, 07:32 AM
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For duck, order magret--it is the breast of duck and served rare. Delicious.
In October you will be into cassoulet season--a dish from the Southwest containing beans and duck confit. We had a delicious one at La Coupole and Fonataine de Mars. But for the bargain cassoulet--and magret--try Auberge du Jarente on rue Jarente in the Marais. Both were memorable (cassoulet was for 2 on the menu fixe) and for a song.
In October you will be into cassoulet season--a dish from the Southwest containing beans and duck confit. We had a delicious one at La Coupole and Fonataine de Mars. But for the bargain cassoulet--and magret--try Auberge du Jarente on rue Jarente in the Marais. Both were memorable (cassoulet was for 2 on the menu fixe) and for a song.
Apr 17th, 2005, 07:44 AM
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<i>...oysters, clams, shrimp, langoust, crab, snails, periwinkles, cockles and mussels - alive, alive all.</i>
I love raw oysters, especially when the waters are cold, as they will be in October. But as for "alive", do you mean RAW clams, snails, mussels, etc? I'm accustomed to <i>steamed</i> clams and <i>buttery, garlic-y</i> snails. (I've googled periwinkles and still can't figure out what they are.) I'm not afraid to try new things...but I like to be prepared. Are you saying the entire platter is usually raw?
I love raw oysters, especially when the waters are cold, as they will be in October. But as for "alive", do you mean RAW clams, snails, mussels, etc? I'm accustomed to <i>steamed</i> clams and <i>buttery, garlic-y</i> snails. (I've googled periwinkles and still can't figure out what they are.) I'm not afraid to try new things...but I like to be prepared. Are you saying the entire platter is usually raw?
Apr 17th, 2005, 08:05 AM
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Thanks. That's reassuring. Is the platter usually served with melted butter or other "sauce"? Sorry if I'm being a pain, but I'm probably not the only one unfamiliar with this Parisian treat.
Apr 17th, 2005, 08:33 AM
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Jeanne, I just want to say that we ate at La Mediterranee a couple of years ago. Other than a shrimp salad w/pureed eggplant appetizer (which was the highlight of the meal), there were plenty of FISH dishes, but absolutely NO shellfish. Now that I think of it, that may have been where the waiter said it was too early for mussels and oysters (we were there the last week of Sept). We had the Bouillabaisse, and while it was OK, it wasn't great.
Bouillon Racine (rue Racine in the 6th, just northeast of Luxembourg Gardens) is noted for their mussels. We stopped in early in the day to make a dinner reservation, noting that there were several mussel dishes on the lunch menu. However, there were no mussel dishes on the dinner menu! Just something to be aware of if you're specifically looking for their mussels. We still had a delicious dinner there.
Hope you have lots of great dinners in Paris!
Bouillon Racine (rue Racine in the 6th, just northeast of Luxembourg Gardens) is noted for their mussels. We stopped in early in the day to make a dinner reservation, noting that there were several mussel dishes on the lunch menu. However, there were no mussel dishes on the dinner menu! Just something to be aware of if you're specifically looking for their mussels. We still had a delicious dinner there.
Hope you have lots of great dinners in Paris!
Apr 17th, 2005, 08:40 AM
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I'm really not a fan of those huge shellfish platters that require a second mortgage on your home. While I tend to be a very adventurous eater, I really don't like periwinkles, cockles, and some of the other things on those platters. And the whole thing is simply too much for me. I'm much happier with a big pot of mussels as a main course, or a dozen oysters on the half shell as a starter.
Great roast duck at Rotissierie d'enface. Superb duck with olives at Aux Charpentiers (both of the above in the 6th).
And my partner doesn't like duck generally, but loves magret which served sliced and rare he insists is really fine beef in disguise.
Great roast duck at Rotissierie d'enface. Superb duck with olives at Aux Charpentiers (both of the above in the 6th).
And my partner doesn't like duck generally, but loves magret which served sliced and rare he insists is really fine beef in disguise.
Apr 17th, 2005, 08:42 AM
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Susan,
I should have made it clear that I'm referring to shellfish and seafood as two distinct categories. Wouldn't necessarily go to the same place for either or both.
Thanks to everyone for such a prompt reply to this thread. I'll be researching all these suggestions.
I should have made it clear that I'm referring to shellfish and seafood as two distinct categories. Wouldn't necessarily go to the same place for either or both.
Thanks to everyone for such a prompt reply to this thread. I'll be researching all these suggestions.
Apr 17th, 2005, 09:31 AM
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Jeanne,
The duck with olives at Allard is served for a minimum of two people, and comes out on a HUGE platter surrounded by what seemed to me to be about 10 pounds of olives.
It was so astounding we took a picture of it.
I think cooking the duck in all those olives is kind of like cooking in a bed of salt-- it seals in the juices, and the meat is moist and tender.
At Fish, my sister-in-law had the salmon, and said that it was so delicious that she should never order it anywhere else again, because it could never be as good.
The duck with olives at Allard is served for a minimum of two people, and comes out on a HUGE platter surrounded by what seemed to me to be about 10 pounds of olives.
It was so astounding we took a picture of it.
I think cooking the duck in all those olives is kind of like cooking in a bed of salt-- it seals in the juices, and the meat is moist and tender.
At Fish, my sister-in-law had the salmon, and said that it was so delicious that she should never order it anywhere else again, because it could never be as good.
Apr 17th, 2005, 09:31 AM
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On the question of sauce for the shellfish platters, the shellfish is cold, so melted butter isn't really appropriate. There's usually mignonette (red wine vinegar, cracked pepper, and finely chopped shallots) and mayonnaise, and of course lemon.
Apr 17th, 2005, 10:14 AM
#18
Le Petit Prince de Paris, 12 rue de Lanneau, 5th arr., 01 43 54 77 26. They have an item on the menu which is a study in duck in several presentations: two or three different preparations of foie gras, a salad with duck gizzards, slices of smoked duck breast, and a leg of duck confit. The menu suggests that it is a perfect dish for one person as both appetizer and main course, or for two people to share as one course. I loved it.
