Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Rue Cler update

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The Champ de Mars restaurant at the end of rue Cler is closed for renovations with no reopening date posted on the door. this means that Florimond just up the street is booked every night and you can't just drop in and get a table. They try to accommodate and will help if you are there at seven and promise to be out before nine since they only plan one sitting a night.

Oh, that put a crimp on things.

Paul, I thank you as I will be there next week and Champ de Mars is a favorite of mine. I'm sorry that I will miss it this trip. I also like Le Florimond but I think I'll check out some other neighborhoods this time. Thanks for the update!

What else is new on the ol' Rue Cler? When there earlier this year I was surprised to find an Olivier and Co. Anything else new? Anyone been to the Auberge Champ de Mars recently?

Went to Auberge in October and had a pleasant meal. Very reasonable. Le Petit Trocquet down the street is VERy good--need a reservation. I don't understand the statement about Le Florimond--reservations have always been a must in our experience (last 2 years).

Two other changes I noticed in the lat year: the nice, independently owned charcuterie on the rue Cler across from the Cafe du Marche closed and re-opened as an also nice, but chain-owned Le Notre charcuterie. And the pet shop at the "far" end (near rue St. Dominique) is gone.

Thank you for your replies. My family may be in this area in June. Our 1st time!

paul, Thanks for the reminder about le Florimond. We just had another wonderful dinner there this past week (yes, the Champ de Mars is still closed with no opening date posted). We booked our 9 p.m. table at le Florimond 3 weeks in advance, all 30 seats were filled, save ours, when we arrived. Every aspect of our dining was just perfect-the warm, smiling welcome, the attentive service, the very pretty and lovingly cared for decor (the room sparkles), the nice greeting from chef Pascal Guillaumin as he made the rounds to all his tables at the end of the evening, the fantastic value and copious portions of the 28,50 euro menu and the carafe of house vin rouge, a Coteaux du Lyonnais. For our starters, we had a warm salmon salad with julienne vegetables and lobster raviolis, then for plats, perfectly grilled slices of hanger steak with endless au gratin potatoes plus a tiny little le crueset pot of boeub en daube on the side and turbot in a rich champagne sauce, desserts were a warm chocolate cake and creme brulee with honey. The elegant and tiny lady next to me ordered the enormous milefeuille a la vanille, which she actually managed to finish. Of all the chef-owned bistros we visited in 8 days (most from the book, Bistros of Paris by the Hamburgers), we thought le Florimond was near perfection-they simply get everthing just right, and we didn't even sample the house piece de resistance, their stuffed cabbage, chou farci, said to be Paris' best. My husband now declares it his favorite Parisian bistro (which used to be the nearby La Fontaine de Mars). I didn't notice anything else different about the rue Cler, but they did still have their festive holiday lights up. topper, I enthusiastically recommend le Florimond to you, and it's also "family friendly", as is La Fontaine de Mars. It's closed Sat. lunch and Sunday.

The "chou farci" is actually a dish of rabbit, truffles and foie gras, said to be the recette de grandmere. "Dodine de lapereau au foie gras, sauce au juse de truffe, Chou farci"

I was doing some surfing on the Accor hotel group web site and apparently they own the Le Notre chain of charcuteries. A new Le Notre opened on the rue Cler at the corner of rue du Champ de Mars in mid 2002, replacing an independent charcuterie that had been there for many years.

From last month-- "The Champ de Mars restaurant at the end of rue Cler is closed for renovations with no reopening date posted on the door." Don't forget to let us soon-to-be-travelers know any update on this situation. Thanks

Just returned from a 16 day trip to France and walked through the Rue Cler last week. The Champ du Mars restaurant was open and people were seated outside under their awning and screen last Monday night. We didn't eat there but have in the past. All appeared open and operating as usual. Paul