Cities like Paris and New York, known as much for their Vibes as for their cuisine, are unfortunately rife with spots that sacrifice quality in favor of ambiance. I always think of this as a bit of a scale, along which you’ll find places like Tavern on the Green, where the food (at least on my last visit) is nearly inedible, but the location within Central Park worth the stale bread, or spots like le Jules Verne atop the Eiffel Tower, where despite there being positively no need to go the extra mile, Frédéric Anton delivers a tasting menu I’d happily eat in a windowless bunker.
Most places sit somewhere between these two: Excellent food in a soulless dining room, or fine food in a place steeped in history. Hôtel du Nord is one of the latter, but despite a few misses, I still think it’s worth visiting, provided you love Arletty.
Hôtel du Nord is not, as its name suggests, a hotel, though it used to be. Located overlooking the Canal Saint-Martin, this working class hotel became the setting of Eugène Dabit’s novel of the same name, published in 1936, and despite filming most of his 1938 film adaptation in a studio, Marcel Carné did take advantage of its now-famous façade. After escaping destruction numerous times, the façade was finally classed as a historic monument in 1989, and when in 1995 the hotel closed to pave the way for a restaurant, it maintained the old name.
Inside, the space is decorated in ’30s allure, complete with classic floor tiling, a zinc bar, red banquettes, and loads of photos and posters reminding visitors of the role of the space in the classic film. It’s a lovely setting – so lovely, in fact, that it would be easy to overlook the subtle sacrifices made in the kitchen.
This is aided by the fact that things start strong, with fairly flawless appetizers. Omnipresent egg-mayo (8) is here given a slight makeover, with an organic egg garnished with truffled mayonnaise and pickled mustard seeds. The egg was perfectly cooked, which is saying something: The still-jammy yolk was perfect with the perfect dose of truffle to make these eggs special without overpowering the palate.
Leek-vinaigrette (7) features perfectly cooked leeks that slice like butter and are generously topped with a grainy mustard vinaigrette with the faintest honeyed note. Grated hard-boiled eggs and a handful of croutons add texture and depth to the dish, and the copious country bread is perfect for wiping up any lingering streaks of sauce. The ensemble is so convincing, you could chalk up the slightly stale croutons to a one-off.
But those croutons come back atop sea bass with a revisited Grenobloise sauce (23), the typical beurre blanc thickened with cream. The fish itself was slightly overcooked, and it lacked the brightness of lemon in the original recipe, rendering the ensemble a bit heavier than it would be typically. This was even more the case given the choice to replace the typical light pommes purée with heartier smashed potatoes.
The side of carrot purée that came with the chicken in Jura wine sauce (21) was far more a propos, adding a lovely vegetal sweetness to the otherwise simple dish.
The much lauded steak tartare (19) was perfectly fine, and the sweet pickled onions on top were a very nice touch.
But the French fries that accompanied it proved stale, and the mayonnaise served alongside was definitely not made in-house. A pity, seeing as the fries themselves were so pretty, skin-on and deeply golden brown.
The café gourmand (11) featured a small pot each of unbaked cheesecake with a speculoos base and chocolate mousse, both of which were nice but nothing to write home about. The warm financier was the underdog, slightly warmed and redolent with almond.
The seasonal chou (9) filled with chantilly cream and berry coulis could have been a total winner, filled with slightly sweetened whipped cream, a lovely tart coulis, and a surprise boule of strawberry sorbet. But once again, staleness was on the menu: This time, it was the chou pastry that suffered, despite a lovely crispy craquelin that almost saved the day.
I’ll admit, too, that I was further irritated by aloof service – and not of the charmingly French kind. Despite a nearly empty dining room, it was nearly impossible to flag a server for more wine, water, or bread.
The missteps at this restaurant could easily be overlooked, especially if you want to eat in this storied dining room or indeed at a table outside with a view of the Canal. Should you visit, be sure to ask for a table on the bistro side, which is cozier and homier than the back room, aka the “restaurant,” with its flickering candlelight. I’d recommend ordering a bunch of appetizers to share – in addition to the ones we ordered, the foie gras and escargots looked great – and perhaps trying the truffle gouda croque monsieur the restaurant seems to be so famous for. Even better, go on one of their regular cabaret evenings, when jazz night suffuses the room with even more ambiance.
Hôtel du Nord – 102 Quai de Jemmapes, 75010