I’ve been erratic in writing restaurant reviews, although anyone looking at my post–holiday waistline would think I dine out every night. My friend, Pamela Grant, who used to write restaurant reviews for Time Out, has graciously agreed to write them for me.
Her first review is of Mavrommatis, an upscale gourmet Greek restaurant in the 5th arr.
Walking through the winding medieval streets of the Mouffetard market in Paris’s 5th arrondissment is not only a treat for the eyes, but the taste buds as well with one specialty boutique on top of another. The pedestrian section of this 14th century market is lined with cheese shops, fruits and vegetables piled high, wine shops and more. Hemingway lived nearby and ambled these streets, inadvertently inspiring many of his novels. In a “Movable Feast” his final memoir, he talks of buying chestnuts at the market when he was half-starved, along with clementines and cherry kirsch to wash it down.
But where to go for a good meal after this lovely stroll has got you salivating? Plenty of crepe stands along the way vie for your attention as well as inexpensive quiches and souvlaki stands for the student budget (this is the edge of the Latin quarter after all). However if you want an exceptional meal, then you might wander to Mavrommatis, an upscale Greek restaurant tucked away on a small street at the end of this market.
Olive trees surround the terrace, heated in the winter, and the interior is decorated in warm yellow Mediterranean tones with lovely wood-carved furniture, crocheted curtains, ficus trees and sepia-toned pictures. One of the Mavrommatis brothers is there to greet and whisks us to a corner table.
For starters, I opted for tarama with asparagus and cucumber flecked with Granny Smith apple. And my friend chose artichokes à la Constantinople (a recipe that dates from the Byzantine era). Before these dishes arrived, we were served an amuse bouche, a little taster, always a sign of a fine restaurant. A jigger glass of feve beans in a creamy whipped emulsion set the tone for the meal… exquisite, refined and delicate. We were ready for a gourmet experience.
When it arrived, it almost seemed a shame to cut into the tarama wrapped in cucumber on a bed of lemon and olive-soaked asparagus. But it had to be done, and the melange of salty fish-eggs, tart green apples and fresh asparagus did not disappoint. The same goes for the artichokes. The presentation was picture-perfect with the pretty vegetables (peas, baby carrots, celery and dill) nestled in the hollow of the slow-cooked artichokes. It was flavorful with a perfect crunch.
The main dishes, John Dory in an infusion of vegetables and calamari, and more traditional moussaka, with zucchini and eggplant were up next. The flaky white John Dory and calamari were cooked to golden perfection and the sauce with bergamot and coriander had a lovely tang. The moussaka was the heartiest fare of the evening. But with the usual Mavrommatis twist, Andréas, the chef extraordinaire, took an every-day Greek dish and spruced it up with interesting spices and herbs. Perhaps the only critique that can be levied on this international Aegean cuisine was the portions that are less than abundant. Also, the prices can escalate if not careful. Dinner for two came to about 130 euros with starter, main dish, dessert and wine. Not a bargain, but reasonable for the quality of the dishes.
The service was attentive, and the white wine from the Pelopponesus was crisp and complemented the meal admirably. For authentic Greek food, far from the over-garlicky tsatsiki or stuffed grape leaves swimming in oil, the Mavrommatis brothers have distinguished themselves by taking traditional Greek fare and bringing it a notch above.
As you leave your meal, well sated, you might ponder the beginnings of the Mouffetard market. It all began around 1387. A barber and baker were executed in front of City Hall for some grisly murders. The criminals were placed in a metal cage and slowly cooked over a fire for having committed abominable deeds. It seems the barber was murdering his clients and the baker was cooking them in tasty meat pies (Sweeny Todd, eat your heart out). That’s not the worst of it. The shops were on the Ile de la Cite, near the cathedral of Notre Dame. Some of their best clients were the cannons of the church. Having committed a sin by eating human flesh, these religious men were headed south to Avignon seeking a papal pardon. Ostensibly their journey took them no further than a village outside of Paris where the Mouffetard market grew up and still thrives today.
Mavrommatis
42 rue Daubenton
Open Tuesday- Saturday
Tel: 01.43.31.17.17
Metro: Censier-Daubenton
http://www.mavrommatis.fr/
Pamela Grant is a licensed guide in France and gives art history tours of the City of Light. She also works in the film industry, subtitling French films into English. You can see her name on the silver screen for her recent adaptation of the “La Vie en Rose”.
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Eye Prefer Paris Tours have been written about in French Magazine, an excellent glossy travel magazine out of England. Here's the link and click where it says Secret Paris, to blow it up.
January Special:All tours are 160 euros instead of 175 euros
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
