I recently worked up a list of Paris’ best roast chicken for the Infatuation, so you know I had to visit Antoine Westermann’s temple to the genre. At Le Coq et Fils, located at the top of the picturesque, ultra-touristy butte Montmartre, Westermann showcases the crème de la crème of French fowl, sourcing pedigreed chickens from across France and giving them the spa treatment for a cuisine that, he says, “doesn’t look to shock or stun but to make people feel.” And he succeeds – mostly.
In a relatively sparse dining room manned by a particularly harried front-of-house team, couples mainly dig into whole roast birds to share. Among the heritage breeds, you’ll find 200-day-aged Gascony rooster (165), 130-day-aged Grise du Vercors (149), and even the AOC-protected Bresse hen (169) so beloved, in France, that it’s the honoree of a set of contests each December, the winner of which is served to the French president. No matter which you pick, the poultry is slowly poached in broth and then roasted on a rotisserie before being served on a veritable pedestal with your choice of sides.
When I visited with my mother, rather than choose a whole bird centerpiece, we opted instead to sample two portions of poultry for one, so that we could get a wider look at what was on offer. I ordered the 120-day-aged guinea fowl from the Southern French Drôme (50), and my mother got the quarter Cou Nou chicken, aged 120 days (28). While the pintade was certainly delicious, deeply flavored without being too gamey and, of course, perfectly cooked, it was actually the Cou Nou that wowed us the most.
It was succulent and tender, richly flavorful but not overpowering. It was, for lack of a better word, perfectly chickeny.
Appetizer-wise, we had a choice of appropriate offerings including chicken liver terrine (12) with chimichurri or offal empanadas. We decided, instead, to explore the existential of whether the chicken or the egg came first with organic, pasture-raised egg-mimosa (12) topped with beet pickles seasoned with honey vinegar and fresh coriander. These were tasty and well-balanced thanks to a lovely pop of acidity from the beetroot.
The sides were way less exciting. You get a choice of two from house-made fries, macaroni gratin, mashed potatoes, sautéed vegetables, and green salad.
We opted for fries and salad, neither of which blew us away, though the latter, dressed with sherry vinegar and olive oil, was far more impressive than the bland, ho-hum fries.
The promised roasted purple garlic didn’t come until we’d requested it, and when it did, it was neither purple nor particularly roasted, though it was tasty with some of the plentiful country bread.
Desserts, too, were far from wow-worthy. The apple compote with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream (13) was served cold, a shame given the presence of the vanilla ice cream.
And the café viennois (9) with chantilly was fairly plain and not really worth the added expense for a cupful of whipped cream dusted with cocoa powder. Most tables had opted for their version of the café gourmand (12) served with chocolate mousse and a chocolate truffle, and I think in future, I’d do exactly the same.
Ultimately, Le Coq et Fils delivers best when you focus on the stars. I’d definitely return for the cou nu alone – and maybe sample the same bird prepared, instead, as a coq au vin.
Le Coq et Fils – 98 Rue Lepic, 75018