36 rue Saint Louis en l'Isle 4e arr, Paris
Metro- Pont Marie (closer) or St Paul
Open everyday for lunch and dinner
www.lecaveaudelisle.com
This afternoon after having lunch and getting myself organized I did some power walking down the rue de Rivoli and checked out the shops and sales.
I walked all the way from the Marias to the Louvre. By the time I got to the Louvre I was tired and hungry. It was 7pm so I decided to jump onto a very crowded Metro train and take it to Pont Marie and then walk across the bridge to the Ile St Louis.
The rue St Louis en l'Isle is as nice to walk on a cold night as it is on a warm day. All the cafe and bistros are bustling and in the early evening everyone is planted in a chair for a good meal.
My choice this evening is a deja vu bistro that I visited last year and really enjoyed, Le Caveau de l' Isle. I am really hoping my meal is as good because I ordered about the same thing.
From fowl to meat to seafood, the menu here has a good choice of items suited to please anyone. The meal is a 3 course set menu for €24.95.
OK, all ducks in France should now beware...
For my starter I ordered the foie gras with fig jam and toasts. The dish is artistically presented and delicious. It's a little different than last years preparation but equally yummy. The foie gras melts in you mouth and fig jam is sweet and delicious. I have just one small comment, the fig jam seemed to overpower the creamy foie gras. I didn't have to eat it all on the foie gras, but I did. :P
For my main course I ordered the margret de canard (duck breast) finished with honey. Once again, the dish is beautifully served. In the center of the plate is a "stack" of potatoes dauphinois topped with a slice of sauteed apple and fresh currants. Leaning against the potatoes to create the mountain is the medium rare slices of duck breasts. This is all in a light pool of delicious brown sauce with a sweet and tart flavor. Perfectly prepared.
I did see that some folks sitting close to me had the salmon and steak, the portions looked huge and the preparation was beautiful. I also heard them comment on how well the preparation was. I noticed that everyones main courses were very "vertical"
For dessert I am having the assortment of French cheeses. That's a good way to start a trip! I could have had a sweet dessert but I have a "supreme orange" tart in my bag to eat later!
The cheese assortment includes reblochon, camembert and a chevre. It's served with a small amout of greens and a big basket of crusty french bread. I like getting the cheese course here because the meals aren't so large as to stuff you and the cheese is a nice finish rather than a heavy aftermath.
Total bill - €34.85 including a glass of good bordeaux and an espresso.
This is the second consistenty good meal I've had at Le Caveau and each time I've been here they never seem to be full. I've been to a number of so called "famous" bistros of Paris, some have been packed but have horrible food. I guess Le Caveau is still one of those secret places.
Le Caveau allows smoking but both times I've been here I found the people really don't chain smoke, maybe it's a different type of clientele (OK, jinx, the second I wrote that 2 finely dressed gentleman sitting next to me decided to light up between courses).
I will give Le Caveau 4 stars for good food and beautiful preparations in a nice atmosphere. Service is decent but not excellent, but after all, this is France.
I would suggest adding La Caveau to you list of "not to miss bistros" if you ever visit Paris.
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