This has always been one of my “go-to” bistros in Paris. I hadn’t been there in about 18 months, and it was a thrill to go back. It is run by three brothers, the Cousin brothers, and it was nice to see that two of the same waiters, who are now getting up in years, are still working there. This is a fabulous place for down-home, flavorful food, and what I am more impressed with is that they have improved their wine list considerably since I first went there fifteen or more years ago.

The food was sensational, classic bistro fare full of the essence and natural flavors of each dish without some chef adding too many extraneous and distracting elements. The marinated salmon was terrific, as were the perfectly cooked, small, red-skinned Rouget fish from the Mediterranean. They were served with some nice olive oil, and the olive notes just added to the Provençal flavors of this dish. That was followed by superb lamb shanks, with the meat falling off the bone and the lamb intensely flavored and delicious. With that we had probably my favorite non-vintage cuvée of Rosé Champagne, the Billecart Salmon Rosé, which was as good as usual – dry, crisp, with lots of personality – and a fabulous but very young bottle of Guigal’s 2001 Côte Rôtie La Mouline. This is a somewhat forgotten vintage, but Guigal’s flagship wine is a fabulous treat. Dense purple-colored, it displayed some new oak on the nose, but that blew away after about thirty minutes in a decanter. It was full-bodied, rich, and just superb. We finished with a terrific Grand Marnier soufflé, making for a memorable night at one of the best bistros in Paris.