Whenever people ask me about favorite restaurants in Paris, I think classic French bistro every time. The atmospheres are warm and inviting and the food is comforting. In a city that can sometimes feel pretentious to outsiders, the classic French bistro experience is an essential one to have. So when my mom was in town we decided to try Jean-François Piège’s La Poule au Pot.
La Poule au Pot ticks all of the boxes. It’s centrally located in lively Les Halles, but on a quiet street. I love the red exterior and that they brought the color inside to the leather banquettes. My favorite element of the decor is the pink table cloths and gold mosaic tilings because pink and gold are my two favorite colors. There’s very much a 1930’s but “now” feel.
The food was lovely. We shared the escargots to start and then had the blanquette de veau. No meal in France is complete without a side of purée de pomme de terre, of course! It was my first time trying a blanquette de veau, which was described to me by a French person as “something your grandmother makes that’s really good” and oh was that true. It’s now one of my favorite dishes to order.
We left feeling happy and full of wine and food. Exactly how one should feel leaving any restaurant in France. I also left with a mission to purchase the Jo Malone Red Roses Diffuser that they had in the bathroom…a purchase I highly recommend making.
UPDATE: To see what I thought about another Jean-François Piège restaurant, see my post on Clover Grill here.
Restaurant La Poule au Pot – 9 rue Vauvilliers, 75001 Paris