DINING OUT
À L’EPI D’OR
25, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1st. Tel. 01 42 36 38 12. www.jeanfrancoispiege.com
• Noon to 2:30pm and 7pm to 11pm • Closed Satudray and Sunday • Average price: €30.
Jean-François Piège, who has already founded a number of restaurants in Paris, wanted to give a new lease on life to this institution that dates back to when Les Halles was known as the «Belly of Paris». The multi-starred chef saw the clear potential of an area undergoing rapid transformation and the upcoming opening of the Bourse de Commerce-Pinault Collection as an added draw for a fine clientele. The oak wood facade and the 1920s interior have remained unchanged. The wheat ears, poppies and still lifes still adorn the walls and the bistro has retained the zinc and walnut burl bar. For their new location, the chef and his wife Élodie have composed a succinct menu that changes with the season, in keeping with the tradition of bistro fare. Relish in such delicious choices as pâté en croûte, steak tartar, a croque-madame sandwich or codfish à la grenobloise, and rice pudding or chocolate mousse for dessert. The ingredients are all top quality and the prices are friendly on the wallet. Customers seem happy to eat good, simple food in the first unpretentious, down-to-earth bistro of a top Parisian chef!
