La Cafetiere

21 rue Mazarine 6e arr., Paris

Metro - Odeon

Cafetiere Corse is a small but inviting bistro burried deep in the streets of St Germain.

The interior is warmly decorated with milk chocolate brown wainscoting with upper walls covered in a coordinating cabbage rose wall paper. Small shelves are randomly placed on the walls which hold colorful enamel coffee pots. Table are pretty close together and if you listen carefully you can hear your neighbors heart beat.

The midday menu is a good deal at €22 for 3 courses. You may also opt for the standard menu which has a wider selection which would run you about €28 for 3 courses. Today I was uninspired by the price fixed menu so I selected from the a la carte one instead.

I didn't order a starter and went right to the main course dishes. The person sitting next to me was eating the onglet which came with frites and this looked delicious. I couldn't resist. I had this for lunch yesterday but it's usually a decent dish, so I don't mind.

This dish was delicious. The onglet was served with a generous amont of handcut frites. The frites (fries) were freshly fried and had a great taste. The meat portion was generous and tender. The brown sauce the meat was bathed in had a nice flavor of rosemary. It was a very comforting dish on this cold, damp day.

This is my last day in Paris and before I leave I am hoping for a good creme brulee. Yes, this is what I ordered for dessert and my wish was granted. The creme brulee here is as good, if not better, than any I've ever had it had a nice depth of vanilla flavor and was thick, rich and creamy.

Service here is not overly friendly but it is very polite. English was wel spoken and that was a plus. I had difficulty translating the menu.

I can easily give La Cafetiere 4 hearts for good food in a nice atmosphere. The food was very well prepared. I got a simple dish and didn't try any odd specialty so the 4 heart rating is borderline.

Total bill - €23 including one glass of wine.

I would vote this is a good bet if you are in the St Germain area and are looking for a good meal.

Smoking - while I was here no one was smoking. Maybe this is the type of place that doesn't attract those who don't puff.

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Comments

[Sao]

Did you have some tips to Rome, Richard?...