Bonjour from Paris! I have been very excited about this trip (more about the reason later). Apart from a complaint I have to write to Air France our little holiday has started well.
Last night we had booked to eat at Bouillon Racine and it did not disappoint either in decoration, atmosphere, service or food.
There are several Bouillon restaurants to chose from and they all were founded to serve traditional and affordable food to working people in the city. Bouillon Racine was founded on 1906 and is decorated in the art nouveau style, a style I particularly love.
The restaurant is definitely popular so I am glad I made a reservation. It caters to young families, groups of friends, couples, young and old, but watching the customers queuing for tables there seemed to be a lot of younger people. All were treated with the same level of professional service.
Our waiter kindly complimented my (terrible) French but was happy to talk to us in English. I ordered the escargot to start followed by scallops while the Wing Commander had the foie gras and the Angus beef. The food was very good and I ate everything, using the bread to mop up any traces left on my plate!
I ordered the crème brûlée but the WC decided not to have dessert. Nevertheless, the waiter provided 2 spoons without being asked! After tasting mine the WC decided to order his own! Again the waiter provided 2 spoons. The second dessert prompted a long debate about what makes the best crème brûlée! My one was very creamy while the Wing Commander’s one was very crispy on top. He decided the crispy caramelisation led to a better product and I have to say he had a point. However, that creamy consistency won it for me.
Many, many years ago, on holiday in Brussels, the Wing Commander had a crème brûlée which he declared was the best one ever. For a long time after he didn’t order one as he felt it could never live up to that special one. I think he may have found, if not a better brûlée then at least one to match!
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bouillon Racine and hope to be able to try out some of the others in Paris on a future visit.
Significantly Different 