Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats: Chartier

I've been hearing about the "legendary" Chartier, known for its classic French Brasserie atmosphere and dirt cheap prices, for years and maybe that's what kept me away. I am always weary of anything that carries the "legendary" stamp for fear that I will be disappointed. Located on the gritty Faubourg du Montmartre off the Grand Boulevard, Chartier is inside a a long passageway with velvet ropes to manage the crowds. (They don't take reservations). Built in 1896, I could feel the old world grandeur and it fulfilled the wonderful cliche of the lively Paris brasserie with dark wood paneling, long mirrors, high-ceilings, and tile floors. There was a wall of small draws, which I was later told were used to store the regular diner's napkins.

We were there at 12:30, smack in the middle of lunch hour and it was filled with mostly French diners. The entree/starter list had more interesting dishes than the plats/main courses, so I ordered three of them. The vegetable soup had a carrot base and served in a metal bowl. It was just the right thickness and what you would expect of a simple vegetable soup. The paté de compagne/country paté was hearty and quite tasty accompanied by crusty bread(the crust was good but the inside was like Wonderbread), cornichons, and strong mustard. Speaking of strong mustard, that's what was missing from the dressing in the frisee salad with lardons and croutons, which otherwise was crispy and delicious.It didn't bother me that it wasn't topped with a poached egg.  Lynn had the roasted chicken with fries/fries and her response when I asked how it was, she said "You can't screw up chicken too much, so that's why I ordered it". I tasted her frites and they were crunchy on the outside. A shared dessert was a passable, almost not -worth- the-calories chocolate mousse. The waiter kindly gave me the paper menu as a keepsake and he wrote our order on the paper tablecloth. When I asked for the bill he wrote and added it up on the tablecloth under our order. The total was a whopping 27.80 euros which included my 3 starters, Lynn's chicken, one dessert, and a half carafe of red wine. We sat next to a lovely French couple who lived in the south, but frequently visited Paris. Lynn asked them for some other cheap eats recommendations, figuring a French person's perspective could add a new dimension to our dining experiences, and they boasted of a place on rue Gregoire de Tours in the 6th, which we will try soon.

The "legendary" Chartier didn't disappoint and if you are looking for an authentic Paris Brasserie experience with simple, honest, straightforward French food at more than reasonable prices, head on down as soon as you can.

Chartier
7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 9th arr.
Metro: Grand Boulevards
http://www.restaurant-chartier.com/www/
Open daily- Lunch 11:30-3PM, Dinner 6PM-10PM

Napkin draws

Our bill

  

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I 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.

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Comments

[TravelingProf]

We went to Chartier about two weeks ago with a group of 9 people. The food was good, the service was also very good - and you could not beat the price.

I am looking at the menu as I write this and we had Celeri Remoulade, 2 orders of a dozen escargot, foie gras, terrine de campagne (delicious), and herring. Three people ordered appertifs.

For dinner the rumsteak, beef tartare, andouillette, choucroute, and spaghetti was ordered. All were quite good (well, I am not sure about the spaghetti).

I think we ordered 2 or 3 bottles of wine.

The desserts included a great Baba au Rhum, coupe de creme chantilly, coupe mont blanc (creme de marron chantilly), ile flottante.

The bill: 207 euros. Not bad. I have photos, videos and trip reports on my website, http://www.travelingprofessor.com

[Sheila Campbell]

I had no idea you could sit down and have a decent meal for that price in Paris. I'll be there next month and can't wait to try Chartier. Love the photos; you've really given a great feel for the place.

[Harriet]

Thanks for this post. I'm hoping that you visit the restaurant at rue Gregoire de Tours SOON. I'll be there in April and my hotel is located fairly close to this street, so I'm waiting on your review!

[Style Spy]

It looks a little like having lunch in a train station...

[Diogenes]

Richard,

I love these cheap eats posts!

Because at the current exchange rate, that's how we will have to eat next time we visit Paris.

[Yuriy]

First I hesitated as whether to go there our next time in Paris - for the exact same reasons Richard mentioned. Plus, am not especially enamored with the "gritty" quartier where Chartier is located. But my love to brasseries outweighed my doubts, so hopefully we are going to stop by for lunch... one day soon.