28 rue Fosse St Bernard 5e arr., Paris
Metro - Cardinal Lemoine
It's a miserable night in Paris. It's cold, damp and raining.
I had originally planned to eat at L'AOC tonight which is a bistro specializing in all AOC foods, but they were full with no room for me!
As I walked down the street I took note of Moissonier which was on my restaurant list. I didn't give it a high priority although it did get a Zagat 21 for food and was highly recommended by Time Out.
The menu here seems to be a mix of Lyonnaise and specialties from the Jura. It has many classic French choices in addition to a lot of things I couldn't translate. As I studied the French menu, it was obvious I didn't understand and I was promptly delivered one in English.
That was better. It's funny how these things translate into such simple English.
The atmosphere at Moissonnier is very comfortable and welcoming. The room is nicely lit and has textured creme colored walls coverd with antique prints and photos. The wall sconces made from varnished driftwood makes the room particullary interesting
For my starter I picked a warm sausage and potato salad (€10). The dish had about 4 slices of sausage with a mound of warm potato topped with a whole grain mustard vinagrette. It was a very tasty "salad" and more like a main course than a starter.
One of the specialties here is their "house"salad. If you order this, a cart is rolled to your table and you serve yourself "buffet" style. The selections includes about 12 items including cabbages, potato salad, lentils cured meats, etc. There is no "green salad" on the cart. It's all "serve yourself".
My main course was the spring chicken which was served in a creamy vinegar sauce (€15). The flavor was great but the chicken was a bit overcooked. This is the chance you take whenever you order chicken in a restaurant. I loved dipping my bread in the sauce. The dish is served with a side of cheesy potato gratinee which was the highlight of the meal.
I am skipping dessert and I think I'll hunt for a tart at a pattiserie instead.
Total bill - €29.80 which included a glass of wine.
The atmosphere here is very warm and friendly. I don't think English is widely spoken but there is an English menu. I will give Moissonnier a solid 3 hearts for good service, tasty food and decent (not cheap) prices. Note-there is no fixed price menu here.
Smoking - Only a few people were smoking this evening and Moissonnier also has a non smoking section. The room is sort of divided but I would assume if a lot of people were smoking, you smell it somewhat.
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