Living in Paris for the past 17 years has changed me in a number of ways. I don’t smile at strangers in the street; I don’t eat while walking or outside of socially acceptable meal times. I say bonjour like it’s my job. But one bit of my American roots I hang onto is my natural optimism… except when it comes to classic French restaurants.
It’s an unfortunate truth that while 20 years ago, you could stumble into most corner cafés and get a decent meal, those days have come and gone. Many “bistros” and “brasseries” are mere museums of their former glory, with an estimated two-thirds to three-quarters of French restaurants serving pre-prepared food merely reheated on site.
But Bofinger flies in the face of this unfortunate reality with time-tested dishes made with precision and heart served in a positively stunning ambiance.
(Even the bathroom is charming.)
Founded in 1864, this Alsatian brasserie (which, btw, is the French word for brewery) prides itself on being the place that beer on tap became a thing in Paris. Today, the sumptuous two-storey restaurant with space for a total of 280 patrons at a time is far more focused on food. Here, an efficient and professional team of black-vested waiters serves up classics of eastern French cuisine: a selection of choucroutes, the baked fish stew known as baeckoffe, flammekueche, and coq au vin with Pinot Noir, alongside some more Parisian stalwarts like sole meunière filletted tableside, towering seafood platters, or steak-frites with béarnaise.
While there is a 19-euro two-course lunch menu, on this particular visit, my friend and I decided to order à la carte. And not only were we not disappointed; we were impressed at each and every turn.
My friend started with a ravigote of shellfish (14.50), with cockles, whelks, and baby grey shrimp settled on a bed of céleri remoulade subtly spiced with horseradish. The dish was topped with some very zingy pickled purple cauliflower and surrounded by a buttery, citrus-forward sauce dotted with tobiko. I loved this upscale play on a fairly classic French starter, which was generous with what my father has long termed “the high grade.”
I, meanwhile, couldn’t resist ordering the French onion soup (10.50), seeing as here, the Emmental typical of the gratinéed topping was joined by Alsatian washed rind Munster. The soup base was richly flavored but far lighter than most; we suspect it was made with chicken broth rather than the more typical beef. It was a lovely way to balance out the headiness of the cheese, and while it the crouton-to-soup ratio skewed a bit too far towards the former for my personal tastes, it was one of the better French onion soups I’ve had in some time.
Mains-wise, the specialties of the house are undoubtedly the choucroutes, which can be bedecked simply with ham hock (19.50) or anything-but-simply with a royale combination of seafood like haddock, salmon, sea bass, and half of a small lobster (49.50). I opted to split the difference with the choucroute de la mer (29.50), which saw a beautiful pile of tangy sauerkraut cooked with juniper, coriander, cumin, and lard topped with a piece each of (slightly-oversalted) smoked haddock, perfectly cooked salmon, sea bass, and one sweet, tender gamba. A horseradish-spiked beurre blanc sauce surrounded the dish. When it arrived, it looked so copious I was certain I’d be leaving some behind. I did not.
My friend was hesitating between two meatier, more Parisian entrées – a steak with béarnaise sauce or the veal sweetbread vol au vent (31.50). When she expressed her prevarication to the server, he told her in no uncertain terms that she would be having the latter. (I love a decisive server.) She was rewarded with a massive puff pastry shell filled generously with veal sweetbreads and surrounded by tiny whole mushrooms. A thick, hearty gravy surrounded the dish, while a bed of perfectly cooked spinach provided a touch of balance.
I was tempted to order the French toast kouglof flambéed with mirabelle liqueur (11), but unfortunately my jeans were already straining. It’ll have to wait for another visit, of which I can only guess there will be many. Bofinger proved a charming treat perfect for a special occasion (as the multiple rounds of waiters warbling joyeux anniversaire showed is a popular opinion indeed.)
Bofinger – 5-7 Rue De La Bastille, 75004