Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Le Billebaude - Paris


My two favorite meals of the trip were in restaurants that were totally empty when we entered, which goes to show that you can't always judge a restaurant by a crowd. I discovered Le Billebaude through a flyer at our hotel. Since the reviews on TripAdvisor were good and it was nearby (across from Le P'tit Troquet where we had eaten the night before) we thought we would give it a try. The man who greeted us looked at us funny when we asked if we would need a reservation and told us to come back at 7:30 :-) - yes, crazy Americans who get hungry early! (Note: it was mid-week, TripAdvisor recommended reservations.)



The restaurant has maybe a dozen or so tables. Interesting large picture of a wild boar on the wall - I asked what Le Billebuade meant and it has something to do with hunting that didn't translate into English.


The menu was on this chalk board! Lots of interesting choices!



Starters were a salad with crayfish and a beet vinaigrette and stuffed quail. I don't think I'd ever had quail before, so here was my chance! It was served cold - the stuffing was all the various bits minced up and seasoned like a sausage and it was served with a delicious onion jam. Different, but quite good!



Both main dishes had sauces that made you want to pick up your plate and lick them clean! Top picture is the lamb with tarragon sauce and the bottom is the sea bass with mushroom sauce. The sea bass was on a bed of soft mashed potatoes and the entire dish was a perfect blend of creamy and savory!


This meringue for dessert was at least 5 inches tall and quite impressive. It was torched so It had a bit of that burnt sugar flavor like creme brûlée. Floating in yummy sauce and impossible to eat the entire thing!


This hazelnut financier cake looked a bit dented in, but tasted wonderful. It was swimming in tangy apricot sauce.

Totally loved this meal - I recommend this place if you was looking for a French dining experience with some delicious foods that are a bit different than what you might get in the States.

La Billebaude

29 Rue Exposition, 75007 Paris, France

0145552096



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