There’s been something breathless about Paris’ food scene in the past few years, with loads of new openings, new concepts, and new PR firms clamoring to be heard. I often feel inundated with requests to come try the latest New Thing (and reels of influencers claiming it’s Amazing). As a result, a lot of long-standing staples get overlooked.
I’ll admit I’m wary of many classic cafés on touristic thoroughfares, in large part because they have no reason to be any better or worse than their neighbors. Often, the promise of a seat and a hot plate of food is enough to bring in a weary traveler unlikely to return whether the food is good or merely middling. Which is why when I find a place like Le Soufflot, I’m thrilled.
I’ve now been to this café on the boulevard connecting the Pantheon and the Luxembourg Gardens twice. At the outset, there seems to be nothing distinguishing it from its neighbors, but look a little closer, and you’ll see there’s a lot to celebrate. The menu here features organic eggs in everything from classic omelets to egg-mayo. The house-smoked salmon and foie gras are served with the ever-impeccable sourdough from Poilâne. Copious meal salads abound, and steak-frites and burgers both served with house-made fries. And – perhaps most importantly – it does a fantastic job with my favorite French café staple: a croque madame (13).
This sandwich is incredibly generous, made on a hearty slice of Poilâne bread and then sliced in two. It’s topped with tons of cheese that’s cooked for long enough to become melty throughout, and it’s and served with a little jar of mustard, which I took copious advantage of. The organic egg is fried to perfection, and rather than fries, it’s served with a side salad, which is more than fine in my book. Both times, I’ve ordered this beast of a sandwich, I’ve found myself unable to finish the last few bites, and the salad, with its light yet creamy dressing, is a more than suitable accompaniment.
The omelette is a Parisian staple that doesn’t feature nearly often enough on the menus of bistros I frequent. Here, you can either get a plain omelette (10), the complète (12.50) with potatoes, ham, cheese, and mushroom, or a two-ingredient omelette of your choosing (10). The mushroom and cheese was perfection, filled generously with mushrooms and grated Emmental. A perfect French omelette, as Yves Camdeborde shared with me for the BBC, should be just barely colored on the outside and baveuse (literally: drooly) within. This one ticked all the boxes, boasting a homey comfort I absolutely love.
A café gourmand (8.50) is perhaps my favorite French dessert, and the one at Le Soufflot is no exception. This assortment of three small, sweet bites included a small pot of creamy chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream, an individual crème brûlée, and a piece of almond-apple tart. I love the way that this arrangement allows the kitchen to use up bits of desserts that might otherwise go to waste, and while the pastry on the tart was indeed a bit soft, it didn’t suffer for it. The mousse and crème brûlée proved to be utter perfection.
The only thing I found slightly disappointing here was the wine. I ordered a Brouilly, and it had a vinegariness about it that was far from pleasant.
But then again, it gave me something to complain about – and what could be more typically Parisian than complaining?
You don’t need to cross Paris to try Le Soufflot, but the next time you’re in the area, stumble in to encounter a totally typical Parisian experience.
Le Soufflot – 15, rue Soufflot, 75005