FL Restaurant – Paris (75007) en

A real nice bistro with cool prices ( 16 euros appetizer-main at lunch, 23 appetizer-main-dessert) especially for the neighborhood.
The design wont please everyone, the music in the background either, but the food and service will. Solid restaurant.

The little story
I’ve had this one in my list of restaurants to try for a long time now. For a long time I’ve sent people from my tours there before going myself to try it, because the reviews I had read had given me sufficient confidence about it, and it’s a good place to know about when you’re asked which place to go to after a visit at the Eiffel tower. So I met chef Nicolas Valanchon before going to eat there, which I never do.  I told myself: wouldn’t I look stupid if I was disappointed when I went. But I wasn’t too worried.
The problem was more that for a while until very recently, the restaurant wasn’t open at lunch anymore, because the staff was busy opening a take out on rue Dominique.
It was getting complicated; I could only go at dinner.
Now the hours are back to what they used to be, Tuesday-Saturday, for lunch and dinner.

It’s a little dining room looking over rue Augereau. The interior design is a mix of sober modernism and revisited rococo, we’re not in the “ registre auberge mais pas non plus dans une ambiance ampoule”. Personally, if it gives more an intimate vibe rather than one of thirsty pirates, it doesn’t bother me. Overall, it’s a simplicity that works.
It was pretty quiet that lunch, but it might be different at dinner when it’s full because the tables are practically stuck together.

One of the big pluses of the place. That it be the chef, the sous chef or the manager, they’re all nice, not pretentious, everything I like. Efficient and courteous.
The manager was simply impeccable, lots of class. Others could learn from him

First, a table d’hôte at 16 euros the appetizer-main, I think that’s perfectly acceptable.
Second, it’s clear, well done, not trying to be something it’s not.
Some dishes were lacking a little character ( poultry with vegetables), that’s the risk with lunch table d’hôtes, others pleasantly surprised  ( the terrine), some were as we imagined ( beef shoulder clod ): a quality/price/service ratio that stands out at lunch in this neighborhood. All this in a quiet restaurant too, which is a nice change from the full restaurants on rue Dominique.

Appetizers
Duck terrine
Served « facon « royal au bar » ». Thick, beautiful, rich.
For your information, the appetizer of the day was a green pea mousseline if I remember correctly.

Ficelle picarde like a mille-feuille ( written like this or mille-feuilles).
Since the chef is from Picardy, I let myself be tempted by this picarde specialty; here’s the recipe: It’s pretty much a big ham crepe with mushrooms, crème fraiche, and emmental.
It was a good appetizer, I’m not as much of a fan of the  pre-prepared nixed green salad which usually lacks spirit, but this one was very fresh and well seasoned, therefore it played its side role pretty well.

 

Mains
Poultry fricassée , vegetable tagliatelles
The ingredients were good, but the dish was missing a little kick to it, it was a bit bland between the poultry and the water-boiled tagliatelles, another flavour or an other side more “sautéed” in the dish would have elevated it.

Beef shoulder clod, macaroni gratin
It held its own well, the macaroni gratin could have been a tiny bit warmer, but I told the manager after.
Whatever happens, it’s a nice dish, nicely served, balanced ( a balance that is often missing in many neo-bistros).

A job well done. Nice restaurant, without « frioritures », honest, clear.
At dinner, meals go around 45-50 euros with wine, the prices aren’t huge. Once again, it remains to be seen what the atmosphere is like at night, how we feel there.
But here’s a nice restaurant.