Finding a great restaurant in Paris always makes me happy, but that goes double when it’s near a central landmark. And you can’t get more central than Le Fumoir, a restaurant literally directly behind the Louvre that somehow manages ticks all of the boxes when it comes to the perfect lunch joint. The food is delicious; the service is efficient; and the lunchtime menu is reasonably priced, especially when you consider the quality on offer. That it just so happens to also be ultra-creative and set in a gorgeous room is the icing on the cake, and thanks to this confluence of factors, it’s no surprise to me that it’s become a real cantine for local workers looking for a slightly more special lunch.
When we arrived for our 12:30pm reservation, there were just a handful of people sitting in comfortable, cushioned seats at gleaming wooden tables with more than enough elbow room between them for private conversations to take place. At this point, most of the patrons were sipping a coffee and working on a computer or just taking in the views from the massive windows, which let in loads of light from the terraces running along both sides, so nearly every table, whether inside or out, has a view of either the Louvre, Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, or both.
There’s also a back room – the eponymous fumoir – that these days is less smoker’s lounge than library. I imagine that it would be fairly cozy on a winter’s day, but we took our seats in the main room, which quickly started to fill, not just with patrons but with plates, which emerged rapidly from the kitchen, alongside baskets of excellent, warm country bread so tender the crumb almost melted on our tongues.
At lunchtime, you can either order à la carte or prix fixe, with two courses for 33 euros and three for 39. We both opted to begin with appetizers that bore the imprint of Chef Henrik Andersson’s Swedish roots. The smoked beetroot salad with yogurt delivered on its promise of smoke, which kissed the multicolored jumble of beets cut to different thicknesses, a textural contrast I particularly appreciated.
The raspberries were a nice, almost-seasonal touch, and they along with the pistachios made the dish particularly colorful. My only gripe was that I felt that the ensemble was missing a touch of acidity, but I’m assured this is a me problem.
I went with a more wholeheartedly Swedish marinated herring. Three perfect pieces of the silky, slightly sweet fish were perched atop a creamed cucumber condiment and a base of gingerbread. That both fish and gingerbread were sweet might not please all palates, but I found it divine, especially with the generous dill sprig for herbaceousness, and the portion of the rich fish was just right for a lunchtime starter.
Diners looking for something a bit more French might instead opt for seasonal offerings like creamy watercress velouté crowned with a poached organic egg or white asparagus with gribiche sauce, lovage, and hazelnuts (2-euro supplement). And if you want something even lighter, in lieu of an appetizer, you can have a a fresh-squeezed juice like the Mirissa (pineapple, cucumber, and mint) or Ginger Twist (ginger, carrot, and coriander).
Mains offer a similarly broad range of choices, (5 euro supplement) or porchetta with parsnip purée, hispi cabbage, and wild garlic butter to a salad with anchovies, soft-boiled organic egg, capers, broccolini, artichokes, and pecorino. But on this warm spring afternoon, we both opted for fish, and neither of us was disappointed.
The fish of the day was delicate sea bass daringly paired with a bold preserved lemon sauce and a side of spiced orange lentils. The fish itself was perfectly cooked and delicate with a thunderously crispy skin that retained its texture to the last bite. I loved this pairing, which I’m keen to recreate at home. The handful of baby spinach felt a bit like an afterthought and might have benefitted from a bit of seasoning, at least, if not a moment in a sauté pan, but this is the only flaw we could find with the otherwise perfect dish.
I, meanwhile, went for the swordfish (2-euro supplement), which was served with a shallot-forward pink peppercorn sauce kissed with citrus.
The swordfish itself was perfectly cooked and juicy inside, with a silky, almost medium-rare cuisson, and the sauce was the ideal complement: rich and full-flavored without relying too heavily on cream, which I very much appreciated.
A side of the tiniest new potatoes dressed with two kinds of seaweed and butter was also lovely, and though the seaweed itself was a bit salty, the potatoes were sweet and moreish, and together, they were delightful.
It was tempting to order just one dessert, especially at lunch, but trust me: To do so would be to err. The Swedish caramel kladdkaka cake conceals a rich, crunchy layer of pecans and chocolate. It’s paired with soft, just-set mascarpone ice cream and a bright combo of lingonberry mousse and lingonberry coulis. The result is the ideal combination of richness, sweetness, and a touch of welcome brightness.
We had quite the debate over whether we preferred it to this simple flourless orange cake, served with a yogurt ice cream and a subtle Earl Gray mousse. It felt perhaps less like a dessert than a slice of cake, but such a perfect cake, with almond, polenta, and orange uniting for a tender texture and a subtly sweet flavor.
We’re still not decided on a winner, only on the fact that both plates went back to the kitchen nearly clean enough to put away.
Order a coffee and you’ll also get a dish of three Pepparkakor, thin and crisp Swedish spice cookies laced with cinnamon and a generous dose of cloves.
Two hours after we’d sat down for lunch, we were on the go again – and this without ever having felt rushed or ignored. It’s a testament to the genail service and efficiency in the kitchen that this restaurant works like a well-oiled machine, making it the ideal destination not only for the in-the-know local workers who seemed to dominate the dining room but also for visitors to Paris who want a delicious, leisurely lunch that will leave them with enough time and energy to continue their exploration of the city for the rest of the day.
In short… I think I’ve stumbled upon a new favorite.
6, rue de Admiral Coligny, 75001