There are many excellent Italian restaurants in Paris but they are not always easy to find. Most of them have come from recommendations and my newest find La Taverna was one of them. The 7th arr. is a ways from me but I was feeling adventurous and said what the hell, it's worth it if the restaurant is good.
On a quiet street a stones throw from the Eiffel Tower, the outside looked like a postcard cliche of an Italian restaurant but in this case it was very appealing. Once inside, La Taverna had a warm, inviting ambiance with hues of soft orange lighting. In fact the color was so warm that my food photos have a strong orange hue to them. One rare element for a Paris restaurant was that it was spacious and the tables were set far apart from one another. Too many restaurants are cramped with tables that are too small and after I am finished I feel as though I need a chiropractic adjustment.
The menu selection was just right with enough variety in each menu category. A tart of Taleggio cheese and roquette in a phyllo crust was rich but light with the bitterness of the sweetly dressed roquette balancing the sharp aftertaste of the Taleggio. My dining companion had the eggplant, smoked cheese,pesto,sun-dried tomato millefeuille which I of course tasted, and the thinly sliced vegetables were delicate and lightly sauteed.
I always have an ordering dilemma in Italian restaurants as to whether I should get pasta or meat/fish for my main course and the tempting selections made it worse. I finally opted for the tagliatelle with duck ragout and once I tasted it, I had no doubt I ordered the right dish. It was smoky and intense with the duck so tender it felt like velvet on my palate. The true test of any exceptional pasta dish is that the pasta itself is flavorful enough on its own and the tagliatelle easily passed the test.
For dessert, I stuck with a classic, tiramisu, because I was confident from the two courses before that it would be good. Fluffy and light as air with a bite of bittersweet cocoa,it was a dreamy end to a near perfect meal.
The service was friendly and attentive but most important of all it was efficient.Another common complaint is that many a good Paris restaurant meals have been marred by lack of service or being understaffed to the point where you wonder if your waiter will ever surface.
So if you are craving authentic, beautifully prepared Italian cuisine in a comfortable dining room, treat yourself to La Taverna.
La Taverna
22 rue du Champs du Mars, 7th arr.
Metro: Ecole Militaire, 8 line
Tel. 01 45 52 64 59
Price range: 35-45 euros a person including wine.
Tagliatelle with duck ragout
Lemon tart
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking ClassesI am happy to announce the launch of
Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 3 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
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
