I’m sorry, Brasserie Rosie, that I took one look at your pink-hued, super-Instagrammable awning; at your curated menu and dining room rife with cozy touches gleaned from flea markets, and decided you were just a hipster fantasy of a brasserie not worth my time. I’m sorry that you were my last choice, in an attempt to unite friends for an autumnal meal of saucisse-purée. I’m sorry. I was wrong. You more than surpassed my expectations.
I’ve been attempting, of late, to find some tried-and-true bistros I can recommend to folks looking for classic French food that didn’t come out of a sous-vide bag from Métro. (It’s a hard row to hoe, but someone’s gotta do it… [P.S. I love my job.]) Brasserie Rosie wasn’t on my shortlist at first, but now it’s skyrocketed to the top, in equal measure for its friendly service, convivial yet cozy dining room, and excellent, reasonably priced plays on brasserie and bistro classics.
Appetizers-wise my friend sampled a simple plate of sliced chorizo coins.
I, meanwhile, dug into a plate of Puy lentils laced with pickled shallots and roasted butternut squash and topped with a quenelle of herbed Greek yogurt. It was so delicious and well-balanced that our third friend, after first claiming she’d abstain from a first course, couldn’t help ordering her own.
Mains are varied both in terms of ostentation and of price. This filet mignon with creamy black pepper sauce was topped with mushroom duxelles and Parmesan.
Priced at a reasonable 24 euro, considering the quality of the ingredients, it came with a side of hand-cut, skin-on fries.
The saucisse-purée I so craved, meanwhile, ticked all the boxes, with a hand-made sausage of Breton pork fermier served with house-made gravy and a silky potato purée. And at just 12 euro, it’s frankly a steal. The menu also features several vegetarian options, including a salad with roasted sweet potatoes and citrus vinaigrette as well as a vegetarian shepherd’s pie with seasonal mushrooms and chestnuts.
Desserts are simple and classic, but still bear that photogenic Rosie touch. This lemon-lime tart is topped with Italian meringue and loads of zest.
A revisited Paris-Brest, meanwhile, is made with pecan rather than praline and is served in a puddle of dark chocolate sauce. It’s serviceable without being mindblowing, but that’s more than OK.
Drinkswise, Brasserie Rosie leaves a little more to be desired. The cocktail list tends towards the very sweet, while the short wine list is nothing ultra special. But that’s not why you’re here.
You’re here for comfort: wide banquettes with more than enough elbow room, and private salons upstairs that you can reserve for groups that require even more privacy.
You’re here for the vibe: the affable, anglophone service and easy-to-use QR code payment system, should you so desire.
You’re here for a restaurant with a hipster appeal, yes, but that more than delivers with quality French food at an ultra-reasonable price.
Brasserie Rosie – 53, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75011