Anyone with locavore leanings will love Yannick Alleno’s modern new bistro Terroir Parisien, which pays homage to the agriculture of Ile de France, the department surrounding Paris, and the somewhat forgotten cuisine of the region.
Alleno, a three-star Michelin chef, is known for championing local farmers and ingredients, first with his ¨Terroir Parisien¨menu at the Meurice and then with a beautiful book by the same name, which showcases his favorite producers in Ile de France and recipes from the region.
The menu at bistro Terroir Parisien is old school French and features dishes which have for the most part disappeared from Paris’s fashionable tables. Plates of artisanal charcuterie from Gilles Vérot, a wonderful onion soup “Les Halles” made with marrow and Gruyère, oeufs en gelée (eggs in aspic), a classic salad of frisée with poached egg and bacon, raie with capers and butter, stuffed cabbage, and a succulent Navarin printanier, a traditional lamb stew with spring vegetables.
His beautiful purple cabbage comes from Pontoise, the plump white asparagus from Argenteuil, his saffron comes from Gatinais, and the handpicked watercress from Méréville. The lamb is local and comes from Vincent Morisseau’s farm in Aufferville, his chickens are a special bread called Houdan, beautiful black birds that were prized in the 19th century that have all but disappeared from Paris’s markets. Come summer there’ll be cherries from Vernouillet and peaches from Montreuil.
The cheese plate features a selection of local cheeses including Brie de Meaux, Coulommiers, Merle Rouge and Brie Noir (black Brie), an aged Brie with a dark crumbly rind.
For dessert there’s poached pears with “miel béton” or concrete honey, referring to its urban origins, and chocolate mousse with clementine confite, but I would go for the buttery Brioche “Nanterre” Perdu, or what Americans call French toast. After one taste, I don’t think I could order anything else–it was that good.
Another reason to like Terroir Parisien is they serve non-stop, seven days a week, so you can come during off hours for Alleno’s rendition of a hot dog or veau-chaud or a quick croque monsieur. There’s also a bar where you can dine while watching the chefs at work in the open kitchen.
The food here is very good, the ingredients top-notch, and the prices more than fair, making this stylish new bistro a place I would gladly return to and recommend.
Terroir Parisien
20 rue Saint Victor
Paris, 5th
Metro: Maubert-Mutualité
01 44 31 54 54
reservations@bistrot-terroirparisien.fr
Average price: 35-45 € for 3 courses, not including wine.
Open daily, non-stop.
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Yannick Alléno’s Terroir Parisien
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the origins of ‘Americans call French toast’
His book is gorgeous and the bistro looks to be terrific.
merci carolg
Really pleased to read your thoughts on this place. I loved it and so did my fellow dining companions (one of whom was Forest of 52 Martinis) but I had one piece of negative feedback on my blog post saying that it was seriously under par – maybe they just went on an off day! Ooh and the pain perdu – delicious! (The Saint Honoré was also pretty good). –Kim
Loved your description of your experience at Terroir Parisien and your blog. It had me recall a visit, too long ago, to see friends in Paris. Stayed in a small tourist hotel quite near the restaurant on rue des Carmes. Was most delighted by the weekly market just down the block as well as the cheese shop near the Metro station.
Steve Shotland
San Francisco
While studying the history of the restaurant in college last year, I learned that our modern conception of “the restaurant” begin recently in Paris around the 1760s, a time when Paris was probably the most metropolitan city in the world, so the city was already in full-swing on globalization, importing food products from all over the rest of the world. So the concept of a local Paris-region restaurant inside Paris is actually even more innovative than it seems! Thanks for the review, I can’t wait to visit Terroir!
I have only read fabulous reviews of this restaurant, although my visit last year was not as I had hoped… This can happen, so I plan to try Terroir Parisien again on my next visit… xv