Mon Vieil Ami
Price guide: Mid-range
69 rue St-Louis-en-l'Ile, Paris, 75004
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#5 of 80
expert-rated restaurants in Paris- Recommended for:
- Business travellers, Couples, Foodies, Mature travellers, Singles, Relaxation
Expert review of Mon Vieil Ami
A chic eat on the Ile St-Louis.
This is one of my favourite places to go for Sunday lunch when many of Paris's other good bistros are closed. It gets the mixture of good food and classic yet elegant bistro just right. A beamed period dining room on the main street of the Ile St-Louis has been given a sleek, minimalist black and white update to match the wonderful updated regional cooking masterminded by top Alsatian chef Antoine Westermann, who sought a simpler, more homely touch than in his grand Strasbourg restaurant, ably carried out by his former sous-chef Fréderic Cachot. There's a convivial shared communal table on one side, tightly packed small tables down the other.
Food and drink:
The emphasis is on rediscovered regional dishes, with lots of seasonal vegetables, and the occasional exotic spice or flavouring. Subtle soups and long-simmered dishes served in an iron cocotte are particularly good. As well as the menu carte, at lunch there's also a rotating weekly plat du jour for just 13 euros – if it's Wednesday, it's beef cheeks and baby carrots à la bourguinonne, if it's Thursday it’s ratatouille with chicken, and so on.
Ambience:
Fashionable with Paris's chattering classes. Although it’s in a touristy part of town, you'll still find plenty of Parisians who eat here, with a convivial ambience set by the high communal table d'hôtes on one side of the room.
Service:
Relaxed yet competent. Friendly waiters immediately offer you a fruit cocktail or glass of Alsatian pinot while you study the menu.
Location:
Literally in the heart of Paris on the lively main thoroughfare running through the Ile St-Louis.
Price advice:
41 euros for three courses; lunchtime plat du jour 13 euros.
More information on Mon Vieil Ami:
- Price guide:
- Type:
- Bistro, Restaurant
- Food:
- French
- Address:
- 69 rue St-Louis-en-l'Ile, Paris, 75004
- Telephone:
- 01 40 46 01 35
- Website:
- http://www.mon-vieil-ami.com
- Serves:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Opening times:
- Wed-Sun noon-2.30pm, 7-10.30pm. Closed 3 weeks in August.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Reservations:
- Suggested
