My lunch at Bistrot Belhara

Text by Melle Bon Plan • Photos by Nicolas Diolez
• Updated on • 2 min read

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.

Parisian bistro interior with customers and waiters at lunch.

Bistrot Belhara counter with wine bottles, glasses, and Le Point newspaper.

Woman reading the menu at Bistrot Belhara with a chalkboard displaying 15€.

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.

Mushrooms and cured ham in sauce on a white plate at Bistrot Belhara.

  • Otherwise, as a warming starter, I recommend the pumpkin velouté with a few pan-fried bread croutons mixed with prawns and anchovies.

Orange velouté served in a white plate at Bistrot Belhara.

  • One of the chef’s specialties: the 7-hour slow-cooked melting beef chuck with carrots, potatoes, and pearl onions.

Beef bourguignon stewed in a cocotte with vegetables and parsley.

  • We also really liked the duck leg civet with aged vinegar, sweet potatoes, and mushroom fricassee.

Braised meat with mushrooms in a small copper cocotte.

Roasted potatoes, grilled bacon, and parsley on purée at Bistrot Belhara.Woman enjoying a dish at Bistrot Belhara with red wine.

  • For dessert, the homemade baba with Diplomatico rum and a light cream infused with Bourbon vanilla.

Sliced rum baba with a quenelle of ice cream at Bistrot Belhara.

  • 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.

Plate of sheep's cheese shavings at Bistrot Belhara.

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…

Espresso coffee and two chocolate truffles on a wooden table.

Regarding drinks, the establishment offers a nice little selection of wines by the glass (mainly from the south and southwest) between €5 and €9.

Woman with a glass of red wine at Bistrot Belhara.

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.

Lunch at Bistrot Belhara: plate of ham, soup, and glasses of red wine.Bistrot Belhara facade with a woman and parked cars.

Bistrot Belhara

23 rue Duvivier 75007 Paris

Closed on Sundays and Mondays

 


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Addresses
  • Bistrot Belhara — 23 Rue Duvivier, 75007 Paris, France

Orange location icon for restaurant cocktail barRestaurant    Location icon for restaurant and cocktail barBar          Location pin for restaurant bar cocktailsPatisserie / Bakery          Green location marker for restaurant and cocktail bar.Tea Room / Coffee Shop
Location icon pointing to the restaurant address. Brunch          Restaurant location, map icon. Ice Cream Parlor


 

Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez
Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization is mandatory before any use
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