La Cuisine de Philippe – Paris (75006) en

A real unpretentious old-fashioned French restaurant, discreet and in an area where places like these are good to know . Some tiny little things in service kept me from proclaiming how good this place was, but we’ve assuredly found a good spot, with appropriate prices ( 27 euros appetizer-main-dessert with a glass of  wine).

I was truly pleasantly surprised. The name “ La cuisine de Philippe” made me think that it was going to be a bit stuck up, but instead I found a real bistro ( with some Australian decoration remnants, due to the Kiwi Corner that used to be there 2 years ago):  big tables, big table cloths with smaller paper cloths on top, it made me think of Italian trattorias.

The chef and boss( I think) is in the kitchen, very nice.
Not only I got to quickly talk to him as I walked past the kitchen (I asked him which dishes he recommended, and he answered me with a smile) but he also came out and greeted clients. The waitress is also nice, but there’s 2-3 things I didn’t understand.
Otherwise, she was nice and the service was good.
You had to order dessert right off the bat. If it’s explained to me that the soufflés need to be cooked for 20mins, ok, but for an apple pie, I don’t understand. It’s not baked before the meal is it?  And why was I told that it’s also because the restaurant was going to be full, and this is the way to get our desserts in a timely fashion, before the other guests’ mains, in order to not have to wait a long time? Ok, but if the restaurant is going to be full why was I told the night before when I called to make a reservation that it was going to be quiet at lunch the next day? Finally, 3-4 tables didn’t show up; why were their numbers not taken to avoid problems?
Anyways, for a “vieux loup des restos” there were arguments that didn’t make sense,  or at least  too many on the same day:)

The lunch menu is a good price, 27 for appetizer-main-dessert with a glass of wine included.

Appetizer
Emmental soufflé
Perfect, very good taste.
Warm, golden, tasty, everything we hope for from such a soufflé.

Main
Crunchy lamb shanks with thyme jus
Very good, it was recommended by the chef, the lamb was thinly sliced, the jus is savoury
A dish that went perfectly with this June weather, warm and cold

Dessert
Strawberry soufflé
It’s definitely a mistake to order two soufflés in the same meal, we should have thought better, I didn’t finish it, so I was disappointed. Next time I’ll take a piece of apple pie and its green apple sorbet.

In spite of my reservations on the place, I warmly recommend this restaurant.
It’s authentic, old fashioned in its honesty (the prices, the food, the greeting) but not old in a bad way.
Solid find. With Ferrandaise  not far from it, that makes two quality humble French restaurants in the area.
And in another food “registre”, there’s  a  nice little crêperie right beside it.