Restaurants operating in the western half of the Left Bank are often neglected by the press, but this doesn’t mean they’re not up to scratch. This is the case for the two addresses led by Thierry Faucher, L’Os à Moelle and its cave, located on the Rue de Vasco de Gama. If the first goes in for more gourmet cuisine, then the second is a homier affair, where guests perch at a large wooden tables and make the most of a decent-value ‘help yourself’ menu (two courses are €19 at lunchtime), laid out on hot plates at the end of the room. The rustic starters include things like terrine, grated carrot, eggs, smoked herring and red cabbage salad, while mains span fish soup, a salt cod brandade, chicory and ham, tripe, ratatouille and polenta. It’s all great, humble, comforting grub, but it’s worth leaving a little room for the cheese platter and puddings afterwards (guests can indulge in everything from chocolate cake and île flottante to fruit salad and rice pudding). The wine list, meanwhile, homes in on various well-regarded smaller producers, with the 2010 Pouilly Fumé from the Domaine Guy Baudin particularly standing out (€18 on site or €12 to take away).
TRANSLATION: FLORA HUDSON