La Fontaine de Mars
129, rue St.-Dominique, in the 7th Arrondissement.
01 47 05 46 44. Lunch and dinner every day.
La Fontaine de Mars has the charm of a neighborhood Paris bistro and the polish of a destination restaurant, which is what it has become for legions of visitors (including, famously, the Obamas, back in 2009) who are looking for some kind of quintessential French dining experience
The place has the bright rosy glow of brass and checked linens. The main floor is bustling, with its banquettes, bar and terrace. The rooms on the upper floor, with pink and green toile-covered walls, are a bit quieter but not at all a no-man’s land, the way that upstairs salles feel in some Paris bistros.
The southwestern-accented menu is wonderfully classic, with not an ounce of ginger or lemongrass or foam in sight. You can start with pâté de campagne, salade de tête de veau (only in France do “salad” and “calf’s head” go together), charcuterie or maybe their famous oeufs en meurette—eggs cooked in red wine with shallots and bacon.
For mains, go straight for the duck confit, one of those litmus test dishes. the leg itself is great, with rich, falling-apart meat encased by crackling skin. A whole line-caught bass is a lovely thing to behold and perfectly cooked. The favorite of my friends, though, is the slow-braised beef in a rich Madeira sauce studded with tiny mushrooms and onions. The cooking here is not contemporary, but it feels very much alive.
The wine list emphasizes Bordeaux.
Desserts are straight from the canon: floating island, chocolate mousse, crème brûlée, prunes in Armagnac. Have a warm fig tart on buttery puff pastry with vanilla ice cream, along with a verbena-scented macaron with chantilly, fresh berries and berry sorbet. A fine ending to a fine meal.
In a nutshell: La Fontaine de Mars offers thoughtful, classic cooking in a picture-perfect Paris setting.
Price check: There’s no prix fixe menu, so count on spending 40–50 euros before wine.
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