When it comes to Paris’ big-name brasseries, La Coupole is often at the top of the list. Dating back to 1927, this Montparnasse mainstay was long a favorite gathering place for Lost Generation writers as well as artists like Georges Braque or dancers like Josephine Baker.
Step into the ornate dining room, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into this era of art deco glam, with a dining room dominated by the bronze cast sculpture La Terre and loads of gorgeous green-and-gold details.
Let’s be clear: You’re here for the ambiance. The food is nevertheless better than I expected it to be.
Oysters are a big draw at La Coupole, with ten different options on the menu: four from Brittany, four from Charente-Maritime, and two from Normandy. Each type is sold by threes, sixes, or nines, or you can opt for a towering tasting, with or without other shellfish like clams, sea snails, langoustines, or crab.
We went for three Fines de Claire from Charente-Maritime (6.90) and three Creuses de Bretagne Belondine Cadoret (6.60). I found I preferred the deeper, brinier flavor of the latter, from Brittany. They were served, as is the norm, in France, with rye bread, salted butter, and a shallot and vinegar mignonnette.
We next split two appetizers. The first was a play on one of my favorite classic French starters: leek-vinaigrette (12.50). Here, the tender, sweet leeks were served on a bed of the tonnato sauce more typically reserved for veal. Scattered with toasted hazelnuts and herb-infused pickled onions, this dish departed from the well-trod path without going too crazy. I loved the way the sweet leeks married with the rich, briny sauce, and the hazelnuts provided welcome crunch. The only part of it I wasn’t convinced by was the confit egg yolk nestled on top, which tasted pretty much like straight, unseasoned mayonnaise. I was not a fan.
We were even more impressed by the “fraicheur de crabe,” (18.80) a house signature pairing celery remoulade and crab salad. Studded with bright Granny Smith apple and loads of fresh herbs, this dish was light and bright… and it was definitely generous with the crab. I particularly liked the drizzle of chile oil around the plate. (What can I say? I’m a spice head.)
Fish dominates the mains as well. While I was tempted by the sole meunière (48.50), I was glad I instead opted for the sea bass (29.50), seeing as the former was delivered to the couple seated to my left already filletted and thus with none of the pomp and circumstance I feel it deserves. The bass, meanwhile, was perfectly cooked, but that’s the nicest thing I can say about it. The crayfish sauce was perfectly fine, though the accompanying crayfish was dry as a bone.
The texture of the accompanying spinach cannelloni was baffling, a combination of dried out and crisp on top and humid and sticky on the bottom. The spinach stuffing itself was good.
So do I recommend la Coupole? I guess that depends. The prices are, as we’d say in France, correctes, especially given the historic allure of the restaurant. And like many other brasseries of its ilk, La Coupole is open every day from 8 to midnight (11pm on Sundays and Mondays), making it the perfect option on days or nights when you’re eating off-schedule.
But ultimately, I recommend La Coupole above all for the vibe. Get yourself dressed up, take a seat on the banquette, and people watch over a platter of oysters and a few shared seafood appetizers while you pretend to be Audrey Hepburn in Charade. If you don’t expect culinary wizardry, you won’t leave disappointed.
La Coupole – 102, boulevard du Montparnasse, 75014