Oh that cote de boeuf !
Wow, that previous post was a ramble – which needs to be quickly replaced with FOOD.
The photo of the food in this incredibly busy and cramped restaurant came out pretty horribly – the light was so dim and the place literally had barely any elbow room at all. But that’s not at all a reflection of the foodfoodfood of this wonderful bistrot.
Chez L’Amis Jean is in Paris, and it’s very firmly in the anti-Michelin realm of Parisien eats. Rather than three waiters per table, it’s three waiters for the entire restaurant, and I kid you not, when I say it’s cramped, believe me. Essentially the restaurant is one long banquette, with lots of little tables that are joined to make one long table. Each party is sat opposite each other, and as you are seated, the table is pulled out so that one of you can sit before being wedged in. Don’t drink too much water if you’re sitting inside 🙂
The good thing about this cozy atmosphere is that you almost feel like you are at a wedding. You get to know the people sitting on either side of you, and everyone’s friendly and just happy to be inside (and on the night we were there, out of the lashing rain outside) with the warm hospitality of the staff.
And despite it being insanely full, the waitstaff were all blazingly efficient and always, always (and I truly adore this part) able to pause and wish you “bon appetite” with a smile – they truly want you to enjoy your food here. From the start, as you are waiting for your table, they serve up sharing boards of charcuterie. While you sneak looks at other tables to see what looks good (don’t tell me I’m the only one who does this), a large shared terrine with a big knife is presented to you to “have some”. It’s little touches of warmth and generosity like this that for me makes this such a memorable restaurant.
Ruiz au lait with praline and salted caramel
Not only is the food phenomenal – classic French bistro at its best, but the portions are enormous.
Knowing the portions were big, didn’t deter us from ordering what we wanted though – luckily we were happy to wander around the close-by Eiffel Tower after to walk some of our dinner off. Tres romantic !
We started our gargantuan meal with soup de Parmsan. A large bowl with crispy bacon bits and delicately sliced chives is filled in front of you with a creamy, rich, cheesy soup from a large(r) tea pot. Ridiculously delicious, and followed with the cote de boeuf – thick juicy slices of rib-eye, cooked on the bone, with generous shavings of black truffles. mmmmm…And because we truly have eyes bigger than our stomach, we ordered dessert ! Which was rice pudding served with praline and salted caramel. Rich, creamy and decadent, it was a perfectly balanced dish to balance out our dinner. Again, LARGE, again, superb.
They almost had to roll us out of there ! If you do want to go (and if you are in Paris, I really think you should), two things I would strongly recommend. First, make a booking, or don’t even bother to turn up. Secondly, go hungry.
Chez L’Amis Jean
27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris, France
June 18th, 2014 at 8:33 am
Dont leave this for instagram, I still want to see all of those pretty dishes you share in this format
June 18th, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Classic french bistro – all I needed to hear to know the food is incredible 😀
Great review!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
July 15th, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Looks lovely! Just stumbled upon your blog, totally agree about the instagram thing, it’s convenient but blogging is much more fun!
July 16th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
Delicious review! And now, I’m dreaming about France. Hoping for it to be a reality, soon 🙂
July 18th, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Love the review…I’m purchasing my ticket to Paris right now!
July 25th, 2014 at 5:50 pm
your blog is such a gem!
and “but the portions are enormous.” reason along is enough for me to make this restaurant a must-visit!
Thanks so much for sharing all these info!
August 13th, 2014 at 4:23 pm
Carolyn, you are making me so hungry just reading the descriptions of your food. Ruiz au lait with praline and salted caramel… oh my goodness that looks delicious and so creamy. I know there are a couple of options you can either take the elevator up the Eiffel tower or you can take the stairs, maybe the stairs after visiting this lovely restaurant. Have a super week. BAM
August 15th, 2014 at 2:31 am
Interesting restaurant concept!!!
i think i’m going there in a really good mood with a nicely slighly stuffed stomach, otherwise i’m gonna be mad like a crazy bitch, lol
honestly, i’m really curious how it would be if i taking my girlfriend to this place….
August 18th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Oh, this is just my sort of restaurant.. I’d love the warmth and coziness of it. The meal you had sounds fantastic! I’m longing for a large bowl of that rice pudding!! It would hit the spot right about now!!
August 9th, 2016 at 5:08 pm
Looks AMAZING. I am in love with meat.
Saisha