This gourmet haunt with Basque accents belongs to chef Thierry Dufroux, who trained with great names in French cuisine such as Alain Ducasse.
In this restaurant with the look of a chic bistro, not far from the Esplanade des Invalides, he offers delicious Basque-inspired dishes in a warm and friendly atmosphere. I particularly appreciated the good-natured humor of the waiters.
On the plate, you’ll find classic bistro cuisine, served in generous portions and in communal cocottes if you want to share your dish with your table companions (or not).
To taste:
- To start the meal, an original starter with the gourmet fricassee featuring mushrooms, txistora (a raw red Spanish cured sausage), rock octopus, and Bayonne ham.
- Otherwise, as a warming starter, I recommend the pumpkin velouté with a few pan-fried bread croutons mixed with prawns and anchovies.
- One of the chef’s specialties: the 7-hour slow-cooked melting beef chuck with carrots, potatoes, and pearl onions.
- We also really liked the duck leg civet with aged vinegar, sweet potatoes, and mushroom fricassee.
- For dessert, the homemade baba with Diplomatico rum and a light cream infused with Bourbon vanilla.
- In a much more Basque spirit, you can also taste the aged Ossau Iraty sheep’s milk cheese, accompanied by its black cherry jam from Itxassou.
And then I always like to finish a good lunch with a little coffee, and obviously with a few homemade truffles, it’s always nicer…
Regarding drinks, the establishment offers a nice little selection of wines by the glass (mainly from the south and southwest) between €5 and €9.
Menu prices: lunch menu from Tuesday to Saturday Basque spirit: 2 pintxos + 1 coffee €15 / starter + main or main + dessert €24 / starter + main + dessert €34 / dinner menu starter + main + dessert €41
Thanks to Bistrot Belhara for this invitation.
Bistrot Belhara 23 rue Duvivier 75007 Paris Closed on Sundays and Mondays
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MAP OF MY FAVORITE FOOD SPOTS IN PARIS AND THE ILE-DE-FRANCE REGION
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Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization is mandatory before any use
