Peachy Picks Le Paris Bistrot Francais Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Owner and Chef Patrick Laurent and Peachy Deegan
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Did you know that you do not need a plane ticket to go to Paris anymore?
You just need to know the amazing Patrick Laurent from Alsace-Lorraine and Le Paris Bistrot Francais! He knows everyone in France that just sends everything over, including the terrifically fresh white asparagus which seriously came from France and was a total dream. From the moment we stepped inside, it is just as we would imagine Paris to be-we hear quite a lot from our friend Mover and Shaker Caroline Tannous-and from the first sip of Chateau Tour De Goupin Organic Bordeaux (above), we knew we were in for one of the best French bistro experiences we've ever had. Oooh we just love French food and French people!
(And you know we cover the French Heritage Society too...we will have to tell Mover and Shaker Elizabeth Ann Kivlan about this winner!) Patrick Laurent completely understands the concepts of utmost quality and less is more and by keeping it simple he achieves the highest level of excellence that will delight each person that enters this temple of French cuisine. You can literally order anything on the menu and it will be fantastic because that is just the kind of place this is. As you know we are on a terrific french kick thanks to our new friend Jacques Pepin and our old friend Marianne Fabre-Lanvin, both of whom we saw last week. Remember it's not who you know that counts, it's QUE VOUS CONNAISSEZ! Et maintenant, Peachy connait Patrick Laurent. (...that means she knows him for you non-francophiles)
Do not be misled-simple does not mean unsophisticated-even the butter is presented perfectly. We imagine the P is for Paris although maybe it could be for Patrick too.
Not only is the food amazing, but also the atmosphere is fabulous.
Check out our Chandelier Peachy:
Le Paris Bistrot Francais was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
It has graduated to Peachy's Picks with flying colors! It began in 1995 under the name Bistro du Nord and in 2010 underwent a name change. We also love the chalkboard walls as they are terribly charming! Le Paris Bistrot gets all the little things right:
The service was impeccable all evening and waitress Martine Fontaine, who hails from Reunion, has a sparkling personality and terrific taste. When Peachy Deegan heard that there was a white asparagus special that literally just arrived off the plane from France, she became enamored of it and absolutely had to try it:
Extra jumbo white warm asparagus with hollandaise sauce was complimented by a cool red and yellow beet salad; the beet salad was Boston College colors...check it out:
The asparagus insisted on close up and we cannot overemphasize how fresh and high quality these vegetables were:
Sliced tomatoes graced the top and the flavor was just divine. It was just lovely with the Bordeaux and we also noted that of the wines by the glass available, five out of seven were from France-one was American and the other Australian. Another fine point of Le Paris Bistrot is that the french fries are to-die-for. Patrick painstakingly removes all the starch and makes these daily much to our supreme delight! Definitely the best french fries we have had in awhile, they should be part of your dinner there too. They are properly named on the menu: Les Frites du Paris though the potatoes are from Idaho. Blanched twice and cooked in vegetable oil, they will immediately win you over and you will dream of them for days to come.
As an entree, Peachy ordered the L'Entrecote "Black Angus" Grillee which is Grilled "Certified Angus" strip steak. It arrived medium as requested and you have a choice of one of three sauces and Peachy picked the Sauce aux Poivres -peppercorn sauce. It lived up to every expectation and was on par with the best steakhouses we have reviewed.
It comes with one vegetable and though it was difficult to narrow down the choices, Peachy chose the Epinards a la Bechamel: spinach with bechamel which is a creamy concoction of flour, butter, milk and magic from Le Paris Bistrot Francais! Another fine point we'd like to make is that this is in a Landmark Building-we LOVE the New York Landmarks Conservancy!
It would be sinful to leave without ordering dessert because again, you will be faced with life's most difficult decisions....and when Peachy has one of those the right answer is mainly CHOCOLATE:
The molten chocolate cake was orgasmic and the best chocolate anything Peachy Deegan has had recently. Gateau Fondant au Chocolate et sa Creme Anglaise will send you over the edge. You need this cake. The casual simplicity of Le Paris Bistrot Francais will highly impress you too and you'll return again and again!
Our esteemed panelist says:
If you find yourself on the Upper East Side looking for fine French cuisine, make sure to run, not walk to Le Paris Bistrot Francais! Upon walking into the restaurant, I felt warmly welcomed by the staff, especially our server, Martine. She was such a gracious hostess all night long, and made sure to take very good care of us!
The restaurant itself feels like a sophisticated, yet contemporary, hip Parisian atmosphere with the beautiful architecture and decor. I was especially a fan of the chalkboard walls with French quotes written on them. It made the atmosphere unique and fun.
For my appetizer, I ordered the "Le tartar de thon a l'avocat, wasabi, gingembre" which is yellowfin tuna tartar with avocado, ginger, wasabi and corriander. The tuna was incredibly fresh, and mixed so well with the buttery avocado and sweet ginger. The combination of these ingredients was absolute perfection and is a dish that I would eat again and again if given the chance!
We also had the chance to try the homemade duck country pate which was such a treat! It arrived with toasted bread, caramelized onions, mustard and cornichons. The pate was so rich and decadent which was certainly complimented with each of these condiments. I also had a glass of "Malbec Chateau Gouleyant" which was actually made in France, not Argentina!
This is a rare occurrence and I certainly enjoyed every drop of this rich bodied wine, especially with my main dish. I ordered the "coquilles saint Jacques Poelees" which is wild pan-seared sea scallops. I chose to have this dish with the warm lemon butter sauce and spinach with bechamel, as these were recommended by our lovely server. The dish was simple, but incredibly well done.
The scallops were as fresh as could be, and seared to perfection. The lemon butter sauce made them absolutely decadent! The spinach with bechamel was another great compliment to the main dish and made eating my vegetables a highly enjoyable experience! The side dish literally melted in my mouth and tasted like some of the freshest spinach I'd ever eaten! We also had the opportunity to try a side of Les frites du Paris, which translate to the most delicious French fries on the Upper East Side! They were also incredibly fresh and crispy. We couldn't get enough of them! For dessert I ordered the Creme caramel du Bistrot, which was perfectly creamy and sweet! When I think of French desserts, dishes like this one come to mind and I am thankful that this is the dessert I picked!
This dessert happens to be a favorite in the restaurant and a new personal favorite of mine! Overall, Le Paris Bistrot Francais had incredible food and wine that will keep me coming back for more. However, the atmosphere and sophistication of the staff overall made the night such an above and beyond experience in general! I would recommend this restaurant to literally anyone and would feel confident that they would not only leave with a belly full of delectable french food, but also a new place in New York City to keep coming back to with their friends and family for more wonderful experiences!
This dessert happens to be a favorite in the restaurant and a new personal favorite of mine! Overall, Le Paris Bistrot Francais had incredible food and wine that will keep me coming back for more. However, the atmosphere and sophistication of the staff overall made the night such an above and beyond experience in general! I would recommend this restaurant to literally anyone and would feel confident that they would not only leave with a belly full of delectable french food, but also a new place in New York City to keep coming back to with their friends and family for more wonderful experiences!
Peachy Picks Le Paris Bistrot Francais!
Le Paris Bistrot Francais is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
