Clothes, interiors, music – doesn’t it sometimes feel like everything was better in the good old days? This hankering for the past has reached the world of restaurants, too, with foodies seeking comfort in iconic watering holes, historic cafés and dishes your granny would recognise. Places like Bouillon Pigalle or vintage bistros like A l’Epi d’Or and La Poule au Pot whisk us back in time faster than the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Indeed, nostalgia is one of the defining emotions of our time, and we’re quite literally being served it on a platter. Édouard Vermynck (formerly of L'Entrée des Artistes) seems attuned to this: you’d be forgiven for thinking that Bistrot des Tournelles (located in the former site of Gaspard de la Nuit) is a hundred-year-old bistrot, complete with framed vintage photographs, an antique mirrored sideboard, and exquisite hand-painted lettering on the façade.
The menu follows suit: here, it’s not about culinary invention, but rather timeless, quintessentially French dishes that are both well-executed and familiar. To whet the appetite, there's a small pan of buttery, garlicky sautéed ceps (at €21, it’s not a cheap dish) and an aubergine millefeuille resembling a cold lasagne with two thin layers that could have used a third (€12). Next up is a comforting artisanal andouillette sausage accompanied by a heap of excellent matchstick fries, arguably the highlight of the evening (€25). But then, served alongside a perfectly roasted chicken with its jus, comes the dense and voluptuous cumulus cloud of mashed potatoes (€26). This isn’t just a side dish – this is the stuff of dreams. Chef Geoffroy Langella’s secret? Baking the potatoes first. Clever. The meal wraps up with a playful chocolate mousse complete with gavotte biscuits (€10).
In the wine fridge, you’ll find some splendid bottles at reasonable prices, such as a warm fleurie from the Domaine de la Grand'Cour (€50). Overall, this is a well-priced and enjoyable dinner that looks nostalgically into the past through rose-tinted (and super chic) glasses.
Translated by Olivia Simpson