Let's fight wintertime cold with a good "palette de porc".
With its red-brick walls, its yellow paint and its shining lights, l'Ebauchoir looks like a lighthouse in the rain.
Inside, black-and-white tiles contrast with a colourful mural. Welcome in ! Waiter Thierry takes great care of his customers. He spontaneously brings me bread and a "carafe d'eau".
Chef Thomas Dufour has previously worked at the finest places : Laurent's (on Champs-Elysées avenue) and Beaumanière's, in Provence. And yet, he proposes here a very affordable lunch menu (15 €).
First comes a "Pavé de carottes au sésame" (carrots in sesame sauce). Then follows a "Palette de porc à la dijonnaise" (roasted pork). The meat is very tender. It is served with excellent Dijon mustard sauce cooked with leeks and a little " paillasson de pommes de terres" (potatoes pancakes). The chocolate mousse is thick and rich ! It is no wonder the riz au lait brings back fond childhood memories as it is based on Thierry's grandmother's recipe.
This generous and beautiful traditionnal bistrot cuisine is one of the best in the "quartier de Reuilly". It matches well an interesting selection of "vins du terroir".
If you wish to dine there, expect an even finer cuisine
in the evening. Dishes are more sophisticated and a bit pricier then : about 35 €. It's best to book a table, as the place can be pretty packed on a week-end night. A bit noisy at times, but always a delight.
L'Ebauchoir
43-45 rue de Citeaux, 75012 Paris.
01 43 42 49 31.
Metro station : Reuilly-Diderot or Faidherbe-Chaligny.
Monday : 10 AM -10 : 30 PM.
Tuesday-saturday : 12 AM - 2 :30 PM and 8 PM - 11 PM
Review : Anne Riou, guide Paris Pas Cher
Translation : Claire Riou