My parents love Paris. They are so happy when they are here. Last night, they suggested dinner at L’Ardoise (a charming little eatery in the heart of Paris for a hearty and reasonably priced meal. The set three-course menu is €36, and the English speaking, Spanish waitress was happy to organise a special vegetarian main.
I had a choice for entrée. There was a tomato and basil salad, but I chose the roquefort terrine. Have I mentioned how much cheese I have been eating since in Paris? This dish was a slab of it. In between layers of the strong blue, were crushed nuts all lightly dressed with balsamic. Bread was needed to break up the flavours, it was a dense rye.
Main course was prepared especially pour moi, a home-style meal perfect for a vegetarian. It included an omelette with a buttery cheese sauce, broad beans, an eggplant and tomato based ratatouille and French style potatoes. This would be the type of meal a non-vegetarian friend would cook me if I were over for dinner. It was lovely.
Dessert was just as rich as the hearty savouries. The ‘chocolate dome’, which the waitress described as a cake, was actually an intense mousse covered in dark ganache. It was so shiny that I could see my reflection in it. Inside were unsweetened raspberries. It was a beautiful flavour combination. To the side was a passionfruit sorbet to refresh from the dark chocolate.
We were all so full and happy after this meal. The service was friendly and obliging. The food like a home cooked meal, simple and delicious. L'Ardoise can get busy (it was booked-out when we were there). It is best to reserve a table upstairs, which it is more charming than the basement.
L'Ardoise
28 rue du Mont-Thabor
75001 Paris
+ 33 (1) 42 96 28 18
jaypierre@hotmail.fr
www.lardoise-paris.com