Paris is the culinary capital of the world, with surprises at every corner. It’s really hard to decide where to eat in Paris because there are so many good and highly rated restaurants. This bistro was a recommendation by an old friend.
Le Colimaçon in the Jewish Quarter of Paris is a creative take on French bistro dining in a snug space with raw-stone walls and wooden beams. The exterior is a bit dark and unassuming, so it’s easy to pass by it. When inside, however, you feel like you are dining in a wine cellar.
Our Dinner Menu
AOP Pic Saint Loup Château de la Salade Saint-Henri “Aérien” 2022
Pic Saint-Loup is a leading wine commune of the Languedoc appellation of southern France. This little domaine is overlooked. Nice harmony here between the big black fruits – blackberry and dark cherry and some spice.
Foie gras de canard au sel en chemise de spéculoos, chutney de figues et oignons rouges | Salted duck foie gras in speculoos jacket, fig and red onion chutney
Half-cooking in salt gives an extremely creamy foie gras. All our ducks come from the South West, from the Clos Saint Sozy farm.
One bite into our opening foie gras dish with french toast, and I was immediately at ease and knew I was in store for a great meal. The outer rim of the foie gras was crusted with milled breadcrumbs (“speculoos“) and chopped figs and shallots chutney for a different texture and flavour. The foie gras was flavoured with cognac and not overly salted like most French cuisine. Amazing, and I asked if they have it vacuum-packed so I can bring some home to Singapore. (PS: they don’t.)
3 huîtres n°3 Spéciales de Veules-les-Roses | 3 oysters n°3 Special from Veules-les-Roses
Veules-les-roses one of the most beautiful villages in Seine-Maritime, the low density of oyster farms makes it possible to have a very fleshy oyster of exceptional quality. The rarity of this special Verneuil oyster due to limited availability makes this choice of the appetiser obvious. This special Verneuil rivals the best fleshy oysters, it is crunchy and sweet at the same time leaving an unforgettable taste.
Cuisse de lapin farcie aux pleurotes, au chorizo et rôti au lard | Rabbit leg stuffed with oyster mushrooms, chorizo and roasted with bacon
Accompanied by mashed potatoes with herbs and vegetables.
I ordered the rabbit which I must say is among the top meat dishes I have eaten in recent years and by far the best rabbit dish I have ever eaten. It was tender and flavourful with bacon fats helping to provide moisture and more flavours to the dry, lean meat of the rabbit; the mushroom stuffing was also good with a texture (but not taste) of the foie gras.
Tartare d’ Aloyau de bœuf coupé au couteau | Knife-cut beef sirloin tartare
Served with fresh Agria fries.
The steak tartare was hand-chopped for a piece of sirloin. It had a nice beefy flavour with chewy bites given that the meat was not subjected to excessive power and therefore the meat tissue and muscles were all intact. The dressing for tartare was different from the usual you would get from a New York steakhouse; this dressing was very and did not overwhelm with Worcestershire sauce. The raw egg yolk provided creaminess to the mixture.
Pain perdu de la grand-mère | Grandma’s French Toast
With its caramel with Noirmoutier fleur de sel and its caramel ice cream
This is the first time I had French toast made from baguettes. The caramel sauce was also made in-house using fleur-de-sel (sea salt flower) from Noirmoutier island, i.e. sea salt as good as it gets. I use them with my steaks at home, they (the salt) are incredible. Accompanied with a ball of homemade caramel ice cream. Satisfying dessert with the right saltiness and sweetness.
Trio de fromages normands d’Isigny Sainte-Mère | Trio of Norman cheeses from Isigny Sainte-Mère
Raw milk Camembert AOP, Pont-l’Evêque AOP and Normandy tomme.
How can you not have a cheese course in France when there are so many excellent cheeses available? Normandy Tomme is a soft, pressed cheese that’s known for its fruity flavour and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Pont-l’Evêque AOP (wrapped in the paper) is a soft, washed-rind cheese made from raw, unpasteurised cow milk with creamy and barnyard aromas. Isigny Sainte-Mere raw milk Camembert is hand-ladled to produce an undulating surface and a powerful, fruity flavour with a slightly aroma of mushrooms. All of them delicious and the portion was really generous.
Highly recommend to book and go there in your next trip to Paris. The service is friendly, the food’s great and the atmosphere is as French as it can get. However it would not be possible to get a table without a reservation (as I have tried to get one by arriving unannounced the next night). They get quite busy and it is a small place!
Restaurant Le Colimaçon
44 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75004 Paris, France
Tel : +33 1 48 87 12 01
Visited Oct 2024
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