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01 ARR: Madeleine 7

Boulevard de la Madeleine , Phone: 0899.650.670

Reviewed by: Kim from NJ (moderator), review #2379

When: 2006

Basic cafe/brasserie for a decent meal.

I’m not sure what I expected, I think a bistro, but the place was really a café with tables inside and out. When we arrived, others were drinking outside, apparently an after work crowd, but one table was set aside, with a red table cloth, white china and silver flatware. This was to be our table (our concierge had called earlier to make a reservation). The maitre d’ sat us, gave us menus and within a reasonable amount of time someone arrived to take our order.

Chris, of course, started with six escargot. I think he’d turn into a snail the way he eats them in Paris. Hmm ... come to think of it, he does move like a snail when doing chores around the house. Anyway, I had a tomato and mozzarella salad. Why is it Europe gets tomatoes like I remember from my childhood – you know the ones that actually taste like tomato? Compared to our anemic supermarket tomatoes, these rocked.

For our main courses, I had duck, and Chris - well I’m not sure but my receipt says Esc. Veau Normande – I could have sworn it was a veal or beef dish but who knows. His came with fries and mine with these mini fried potatoes reminiscent of McDonald’s hash browns (and that is not a bad thing). We shared a bottle of Badoit and a half bottle of Bordeaux.

For dessert we shared the tarte pommes because I’m a sucker for apple desserts and to keep with the apple theme, two Calvados. Wow! That stuff is fire liquid. Ouch. Our total bill came to €88.30, which I don’t think is too bad given all we ate and drank.

Other than the chain smoking twenty-somethings at the next table I cannot recall anything negative about the meal, and to be totally honest with you I rather enjoyed sitting next to them, remembering what it was like going out with a group after work, unwinding. I liked the vibe. Oh, and really what was there to complain about? We were in Paris! For a first night, possibly jet-lagged meal, this was a good choice.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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01 ARR: Madeleine 7

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