Restaurant Reviews: Robert et Louise

Glynis McAndrew has also agreed to do restaurant reviews for me in addition to Pamela Grant. Glynis lives across the street from me, and is originally from a small city in northern England. Her husband David, is an Eye Prefer Paris fan, and when I found out he lived near me,we decided to meet. Glynis and David love to go to restaurants on the weekends and since they describe the new places they find with so much enthusiasm, I decided Glynis would be perfect to write my reviews.

Robert et Louise a small restaurant, with pretty curtains, can easily be passed; stay alert because you will miss a real gem.  It is a place for carnivores – big time.  There is not a kitchen as such, just a great big wood burning fire, great on a cold evenings and the instrument for the chef’s culinary skills.

You are shown to your table by friendly, helpful and efficient staff. Plain wooden tables and chairs – no linen here – never the less clean and comfortable.  Don’t expect a table to yourself; such is the popularity of the place that every spare seat is taken. The positive side to this is that you start talking to new and interesting people, a lovely way to make new friends.

For the entrée, your waiter slices wafer thin jambon or sausage on the quaint old-fashioned slicing machine, and it’s served with pickles and bread-just delicious. Homemade rillettes (potted pork and goose meat) spread thickly on fresh baguette is one of my favourite starters.

If possible try to get a seat near to the fire, not just to warm yourself, but also to see a great cooking experience.  Watch as the chef tackles great joints of meat, skilfully cutting soon to be succulent steaks, chops and rib joints. (These joints are to be shared between 2,3 or 4 people). These cuts of meat are cooked to perfection on the great open fire; the smell, the taste, mmm heaven.  When cooked just to your liking, the meat is transferred to wooden platters to be served with green salad and garlic roast potatoes.

The plats consist mainly of beef and lamb, but one of the things I feel I must mention is the veal (veau) liver. Be warned if you order this, if you eat with your eyes first, it looks very much like a liver in its natural state would look!

The dessert menu is small, usually a tarte of the day perhaps rhubarb or apple, something chocolate and wait for it, to die for tarte citron. This dream of a pudding consists of light buttery pastry, sharp citrus lemon and the lightest, fluffiest meringue.  Dessert costs around 10 euros.

I washed all of this lovely food down with a bottle of Minervois .

Robert et Louise is a restaurant full of atmosphere and happy laughing people, a superb place to spend an evening.

Price range:  40 to 45 euros per person for three courses and wine.

Robert et Louise
64 Rue Veille du Temple
Tel 01 42 78 55 89
Open Tuesday to Sunday
Lunch 11AM – 2.30PM, Dinner 7PM -11.30PM
Reservations suggested
Metro: St. Paul. Hotel de Ville
Price range: 40 to 45 euros per person for three courses and wine.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[Stu]

This is indeed the best meat in Paris. I believe I read on another blog that Robert died, but Louise is still at it, at an incredible age. Do you know if that's true?

[marie]

I have a serious problem with this restaurant, for many reasons. Let me explain. My biggest problem is that it is the absolute tourist trap but pretends not to be one. Yes, there is a wood burning fire place, in a tiny stone built restaurant at the beautiful marais area of paris. that is pretty much the only plus this restaurant has going for it – its location. But then again there are incredibly good restaurants at the marais, so why go for this one? The meat they throw on the grill is absolutely tasteless which makes me think that they don’t prepare it in any way before 'cooking' it. When it came at our table it was already cold and eventhough they ask how you would like it cooked, all tables get more or less the same tasteless, cold, raw ribs on their table, served with a salad and potatoes that lack any kind of imagination. The wine tasted like vinegar and the owner was incredibly rude (even for a parisian). If you make the unfortunate decision of going at least save yourself the desserts experience – to put it simply, they are bad. I would not go back to this resstaurant even if 'Robert' offered me a free meal!