As you can probably tell from the restaurants I choose to review here every week, Paris has been undergoing major changes of late when it comes to food. The classic bistros that used to be the major draw are out, and more casual, product-driven bistronomie is in.
But just because bistros aren’t trendy anymore doesn’t mean they have disappeared. They have, however, massively declined in quality for the most part, and many visitors to Paris seeking an “authentic” experience, particularly near the major tourist haunts, find themselves in a dining room that can range from underwhelming to even disappointing.
Such things cannot be said about Allard.
Forgive me if this sounds hyperbolic, but Allard is everything I have been looking for in a restaurant for quite some time – not for me, necessarily, not all the time, but for the dozens of people who ask me, every week, “Where can I find a great, classic French bistro?”
And while at first glance, Allard could seem like the sort of place I generally avoid: fussy and prissy, with too-heavy food lacking in complexity and innovation, it turns out that I would be wrong to do so.
I love being wrong.
Allard is a restaurant in the Alain Ducasse group, with Chef Fanny Herpin at the helm. Herpin has somehow found a way to balance the richness of good, classic French bistro food like the pâté en croûte and foie gras depicted above with a modern lightness and vivacity that I find so refreshing.
Some offerings are more classic than others, like this lamb navarin, one of two mains on the lunchtime prix fixe the day that we visited. Classic, however, doesn’t mean boring: a rich, perfectly executed sauce glazed fork-tender chunks of lamb and vegetables. Similarly, a rabbit terrine was ultra rich and flavorful; Herpin herself stopped by the table and clued us in to her secret: a homemade rabbit stock base.
This appetizer stood out from the more classic dishes: a combination of beets, mackerel, and a walnut vinaigrette. Herpin smiled when we praised it, explaining that she has a bit more freedom at lunchtime to add items that one might not expect to find in such a classic dining room.
The prix fixe desserts were on the somewhat lighter side – house-made clafoutis or honey-roasted figs with sorbet – and while we did try one of each, we also couldn’t help but order the house specialty…
… the rum Savarin.
This very classic spot may not be on-trend, but that won’t stop me from recommending it to everyone and anyone. The service, as one might expect from a Ducasse restaurant, was spot-on; the dining room was cozy and quaint, and to top it all off, it’s within fairly easy walking distance from Notre Dame and the Luxembourg Gardens. Finally, a place in this fairly touristic neighborhood plagued by ho-hum food that I can recommend.
Heartily.
Allard Р41, rue Saint Andr̩ des Arts, 75006