Found between the Place de la Bourse and the Grands Boulevards, Canard & Champagne has the perfect setting in the Passage des Panoramas, the magical 18th century covered shopping arcade that is gaining a reputation as a serious dining destination. Squeezed up next to a stamp collector’s boutique (what the Passage was traditionally known for), the restaurant stands out with its gorgeous carved wood frontage. Inside is more minimalist, with a huge copy of a scene from the film ‘Le Grand Restaurant’ on one wall.
While a restaurant specialising in duck and champagne might sounds like something dreamt up by a Russian oligarch with an active craving for gout, we were delighted by the food despite ourselves. Our starter dish brought fabulous spiced foie gras scattered with poppy seeds on toasted bread, flanked by a chutney made with apples, raisins and almonds. Then a perfect duck breast (as long as you like your juices to run red) and a meltingly soft confit thigh, while shoestring fries, pumpkin purée and seasonal vegetables are offered as unlimited sides. To cut through all that richness, our waiter suggested a rosé Chartogne-Taillet champagne, though the wine list is more than serviceable if you’re not keen on bubbles.
The prices also manage to avoid oligarch territory – the evening set menu starts at €26, rising to €32 to include a matched champagne, or €42 for two.
TRANSLATION: EH