The existence of Yves Camdeborde’s family of Avant-Comptoir restaurants is not news to foodies. Since 2010, this bistronomy innovator has been serving up French-style tapas in jovial, convivial bar settings, with Avant-Comptoirs dedicated to fish, market fare, and, of course, meat: l’Avant-Comptoir de la Terre was the first of the restaurants to open, and it remains a stalwart for those who like beef, offal, and consequential butter mounds.
(When I say consequential, I mean consequential.)
No matter which Avant-Comptoir restaurant you head to, whether it’s the newest iteration – le Marché – under the eaves of the covered Marché Saint-Germain, de la Mer, focused on seafood, or de la Terre, right next door, you’ll be confronted by two menus: the regular choices suspended on placards from the ceiling or a specials menu posted on the wall. Either way, this is tapas-style fare, which means dishes are reasonably portioned and can be ordered in whatever order you choose. When you know what you want, you just sidle up to the bar, where service is fast-paced, friendly, and knowledgeable.
Wines skew well-done and natural, with loads of choices by the glass. Trust the server, who will ask a few questions about your preferences before giving you a taste, as well as a basket of the house bread, made with corn and spiked with Basque Espelette pepper for a bit of smokiness and heat. It goes marvelously well with that shared mountain of butter, which is passed around the restaurant upon simple request.
On a recent visit, I entered the restaurant to encounter the heavenly smell of smoked thyme. It was a nightly special – tuna or beef smoked over fresh thyme right in front of our very eyes with a blowtorch.
We opted for one of each; they were cooked right before our eyes and then served over a simple but delicious salad of lettuces, pepper, green beans, and pickled celery.
(And don’t worry, astute readers who know about my one odd food allergy. Mine was delivered without buckwheat. I thought this trend was over?)
Lovers of offal and other atypical cuts will rejoice at the availability of items like pig ears, sautéed until crisp and served with pickled red onion and grilled pepper, both of which serve to counterbalance the fatty unctuousness of the collagen-dense ears.
I cannot resist boudin noir, especially in fall, and especially when served with sautéed apples. This blood sausage terrine was practically perfect in every way: tender on the inside, crisp on the outside, and unapologetically rich. (I did, however, start to regret one of the three or four butter terrines I had eaten prior to its delivery.)
Barside service was definitely used to its best advantage in serving dessert, a baba au rhum flambéed tableside with enough rum to make driving a dangerous follow-up.
Crowned with a fluffy pile of whipped cream, it’s a wonderful finishing touch.
I would recommend l’Avant-Comptoir de la Terre to anyone looking for something a bit lower-key and festive, particularly in central Paris (and even if you don’t speak French – our server communicated just as efficiently in both Spanish and English.) If, however, you are the sort of person who wants your feet to touch the floor while you dine and who does not want anyone else’s elbow anywhere near you, it may not be the spot for you. Seeing as I have no problems with elbows (nor, for that matter, with dining standing up, which was what I chose to do to get a coveted seat overlooking the main bar rather than with my back to it), I will definitely be returning.
L’Avant-Comptoir de la Terre – 3 Carr de l’Odéon, 75006