My friend Carolyn Campbell, who lives in Los Angeles, emailed me last month to tell me she was visiting Paris in November for the first time since 2018, and she wanted to meet me in person. I met Carolyn online in 2020, when she generously offered a copy of her bestselling book, City of Immortals: Pere-Lachaise Cemetery Paris, to giveaway to one of my blog readers. She also sent me a copy, and I loved the beautiful photos and the fascinating history and mystery of the famed cemetery. (CLICK HERE to read the blog post including my interview with Carolyn about the book).
In her email, she asked if we could go to a sumptuous restaurant and/or see something special the both of us haven’t seen before.
For the sumptuous restaurant, I decided upon Le Bistrot Flaubert, a new bistrot in the 17th arr. near Parc Monceau, that I read about on another website that reviews restaurants.
I arrived a few minutes early, and immediately warmed to the handsome dining room painted in sage green with rich, Art Nouveau decorative details such as stained-glass wall panels, dark bentwood chairs with black leather seat cushions, and a Daum-style glass and metal chandelier. The back wall with shelves displayed a combination of books bound in red leather, condiments and spices in glass jars, wine bottles, and a portrait of an elegantly dressed woman in a black dress and hat, which looked to be a character straight out of a Flaubert novel or story.
Perusing the menu, I was salivating at the appealing dishes, and couldn’t wait for Carolyn to arrive. She finally arrived, and we ordered tout de suite. Our starters, ravioli stuffed with smoked beets and roasted cepe mushrooms in a beef broth with raisins, were sublime, and the presentation in a ceramic glazed bowl and earthenware platter made them look like art pieces. For the main course, we both chose the daurade fish with intense lemon and fresh cheese topped with crispy, delicious wontons in a button shape. My dessert was a strange concoction of a panna cotta like firm custard with pureed apricot preserves and Jerusalem artichoke flavored ice cream, which didn’t really work. Carolyn’s chocolate tiede served on a layer of a chocolate butter cookie was what I call a real dessert.
I have only complaint about Bistrot de Flaubert: the portions are too small. Although I appreciate their restraint in not serving oversize plates where you eat until you burst and you have to practically roll out the restaurant when your done, these portions were too puny and precious, and my taste buds was begging for more, because the food was so good.
It was a crisp, sunny fall day and after lunch we walked to the Arc de Triomphe and down the Ave. d’Iena, lined with the formidable limestone buildings until we reached the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. My friend from New York, Zoe Leonard, is having a major show at the museum of close to 300 photos from her journey of the Rio Grande River dividing the U.S. and Mexico. I thought Carolyn would appreciate the show since she’s a photographer and we marveled at the pristine and gorgeously printed photos, impeccably and simply hung on unadorned white walls.
Le Bistrot Flaubert
10 Rue Gustave Flaubert, 75017
https://www.bistrotflaubert.com/
Zoe Leonard: Al Rio
Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris
11 Ave. President Wilson, 75116
https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-show-exhibition/272592/zoe-leonard-al-rio-To-the-river
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
https://eyepreferparistours.com/
